Star Fox: Descent
by MarkNicholsonV2
Summary: He renounced the only one he'd ever love, then lost trillions of lives to the planet that buried his own father. Guilt plagues him; fear rages within him; making peace a distant memory. After two haunted years, the fallen entity awakens; and the Vulpes will feel what remains of him shattered as it pits him against every terror that's ever flooded his mind and chilled his blood.
1. Chapter 1

(If this story fails to hook you, please leave me even a one-sentence review of why. Something more than "it sucked" but no obligation for paragraphs of detailed information. Just a summed-up point of what you were looking for and how I failed to meet it. I give my word you will receive no harassment in return.)

Chapter 1

 _"I will always love you Fox, even if you never loved me."'_ Her soft, innocent voice trembled.

 _But I did love you…_ He replied from his own shaken mind.

The darkness was suddenly flooded with the image of when he first saw her; unwinding the Vulpes instantly.

Imprisoned within a large, mystic gem was a royal blue vixen whose soft, groomed fur encompassed her svelte, curved body; bushing out steadily along her dazzling tail. Silky hair of the same shade flowed around her tapered ears, continuing down her head smooth as a stream; ending near her jaw line towards the front and at her neck in the back. Her round, sculpted face was covered in short, snow white fur; with a pair of vast, vibrant, sapphire eyes shining forth that shamed the hue of the transparent stone holding her. The snow-white fur continued down her throat, over her sphere-like breasts cupped in a mussel-shell bra, and past her toned abdomen to a white, gold embroidered loin cloth that hung freely from her hips; covering only her front and rear pelvis.

He could not deny the lust she ignited in him. Along with her bare appearance, she'd decorated herself in native Saurian jewelry composing of a golden choker, wrist and ankle cuffs, shoulder plates, a sapphire gem necklace that rested just below her defined collarbones, and a pearl beaded forehead band with a ruby crystal at its center.

A sparkle announced itself from her fascinating eyes, and Fox suddenly witnessed her wearing a bright red silk dress that hugged her slender, curved figure flawlessly, with a bright white ribbon wrapped around her waist and bow-tied at her back; all underneath a single mistletoe in a room all to themselves.

The joyous warmth within Fox's core had completely overtaken him in her presence. Her very name held so much beauty to him, he voiced it in longing. " _Krystal…"_

Her smooth lips grew into a smile bearing innocent mischief as she tilted her head.

He blinked, and she was inches from him; wearing a look of blissful wonder as he felt the berry roll from her hand to his.

Her grace entranced him as he closed the distance; the warmth of her kiss numbed his nerves completely as she opened to his gentle touch. He'd searched every inch of her furred skin with his hands and lips as they undressed each other; learning her body in an incomparable way.

Krystal's voice echoed softly in his ears. " _Thank you for everything."_

Fox heard himself chuckle as he answered. _"And what would that be?"_

" _For showing me your world,"_ Her words brought him to the time he'd taken her to pick out her modern combat and casual clothing, the times he'd introduced her to theaters and sky parks; falling in love with the wonder and excitement it brought out of her expression. The times they went hunting for scenic planets for the mere pleasure of a good view; hiking them together as she showed him her vast knowledge of the numerous aspects of nature. " _Accepting me for who I am,"_ He now held her mystic gold staff in his hands, following her instruction as she furthered his knowledge in how to conjure its powers. Then he was sitting directly across from her, entering another realm entirely during one of the many intimate glimpses she gave him of her telepathy.

Fox was instantly back in the room with her, enwrapped in sheets, steadily bringing her to come with his tongue and teeth; ever stimulated by the taste and the cry of pleasure she released.

" _Training me,"_ He now was introducing her to the anatomy and various controls of her custom build starfighter, then instantly watched her flying it amongst the stars as he demonstrated and talked her through the basics of their many combat maneuvers from his own Arwing; the joyous excitement in her tone poured through his comms as she worked.

His lingering lust returned him to the bed, her sensual sighs drowning out his own as he finally entered her; feeling her tight, warm, moist flesh swallow him as far as he could press. His body felt her every curve as he laid himself upon her, her body's exhilarating heat underneath her soft fur intensifying their intercourse.

" _And just… always being there;"_

Her hands clenched his back as he moved, her body tensing with every thrust as he gradually maneuvered her into different positions; exchanging glances of loving passion fueled by their long-built friendship.

" _For me."_ Fox witnessed her back in her fighter the moment she cruised to a stop, and was privileged with the sight of her magnificent eyes absorbing the twinkling darkness around her; her mouth agape in a smile of pure awe as a pair of streams escaped her eyes. " _They were all I had when I lost everything else_." Echoed her soft, sweet, and still voice; yet in her tone, he heard the grave sorrow that her aching heart could not hide. She now sat on the wing of his starcraft; staring past the Great Fox hanger opening that led into space, looking out upon the innumerable stars.

"What happened to them?" He listened to himself ask, already knowing the answer as an awakening pain enwrapped his heart.

Krystal took a slow, deep breath and opened her mouth as if to reply, but nothing came. Her mournful expression strained as her eyes became moist. "I... I was only fourteen..."

Fox now saw a weeping, juvenile Krystal curled up and concealed behind mounds of cargo within a cold, dark, cargo cruiser bearing a giant 'A' insignia while her parents lay lifeless on their ravaged forest grounds surrounded by dead reptilian lylatians outside the vessel; every corpse riddled with seared holes.

"I _wanted_ to die fighting _with them_!" Krystal's words from the day she told him her story echoed all around him, her tone filled with wrath and betrayal. "I didn't want to leave my family behind, but she took my choice away!"

Fox's throat contracted as he relived the aerial firefight where Krystal's fighter took a warning shot from an enemy pilot; one that would have ended her instantly had it been anything more. _"I wish I could be your hero that could protect you no matter what…"_

" _I can protect myself!"_ Krystal snapped back through her tears.

Star lit darkness covered them and the open rooftop on which they now stood. Krystal's response knocked Fox's gaze away with clenched eyelids; receiving the same anger from her that she felt towards her mother.

" _Please don't leave me alone again."_

Against his every wish, his voice spewed the words of his eternal regret. "…You, would not be here, had I not let you in. I will not be the reason you die, _I won't_."

Silence hung until Fox could no longer bare it. His eyes opened to see her walk away and into the arms of a materializing, sleek black panther; his fur contrasted by a white asymmetrical nylon jacket, pants, and leather boots. A lustrous violet cape draped his left shoulder, held there by a gold shoulder plate. The panther's sharp yellow eyes glared pridefully at Fox from a strong, bold face.

Krystal warmly returned the panther's embrace and began caressing the scar that ran from his right eye, along his cheek, and to his jaw line; gently placing her other hand on his firm abdomen whilst nuzzling her face deep into his solid, soft furred chest.

The panther's malevolent stare remained locked on Fox, a corner of his mouth curving into a boastful smirk as he steadily rested his hand on the hilt of a rapier sheathed to his athletic frame.

Fox felt as if a poison were being pumped through his veins as he was slowly engulfed in darkness. Blood burning and heart throbbing, he fought the urge to assault anything in reach and release a loud cry of regret brought by the formed bond.

" _I will always love you Fox,"_ Her voice came again.

Without warning, the shadows evaporated to reveal Krystal's starfighter flying between his and the panther's, taking the damaging blast meant to end Fox. _"Even if you never loved me."_ The whole scene skipped before his eyes to her plummeting fighter disintegrating into the jagged terrain below as its burning fuel, oil, and shredded scrap dispersed along each crevice; then blackness returned.

 _Someone…_ _Help me…_

Fox jolted awake with a short, sharp cry from the sound of her pleading. There was something intimately familiar about her voice: he hadn't heard it externally, but internally. _Her telepathy..._ " _She's still alive!_ " he breathed, flooded with relief, taking a brief assessment of his cockpit. His vision was still foggy from waking, and the dim amount of red light leaking in through the glass did little to illuminate the picture.

Fox looked down at his chest where the buckle held the straps together that kept him stationary in his Arwing. He pressed the button to release the buckle and instantly fell from his seat, slamming head first into his cockpit window, the rest of his body crumpling down afterwards.

Fox hollered in torment from his head igniting with a fierce, throbbing pain as he remembered the crash. He had pulled his fighter up just enough to avoid a nose dive into the rocky terrain, yet he could not escape the bottom of the Arwing smashing into the ground and grinding away as it began to slow to friction. He felt the fighter ram into something large, yet instead of bursting through the obstacle, the Arwing gave, flipped into the air then landed belly up; continuing to slide along the surface.

He had begun to lose consciousness due to being thrown back and forth into the walls of his cockpit windshield in the process, but he noticed a transition from rocky terrain to steel pavement before his head was thrown into his dash as the Arwing smashed through a wall and came to an abrupt halt; then all went dark.

Now Fox was left to deal with the worsening headache, disputing whether he regretted loosening his straps in his desperate search to spot her after the surreal sight of her graphic crash; praying she'd ejected herself just before. Fox let out another short-lived holler as the agonizing pain rushed through his cranium again, reliving his reaction to the setting reality of her unending absence. He had grasped his head, flattening his ears with his palms and pressing into his skull with his fingers; his nails drawing blood that trickled down his face as he dragged them towards his forehead. The deserving sting brought no relief; the pain of the hellish dream overwhelmed his entire being.

A wet sensation in the fur on the back of his head, neck, and his forearms bought him back to the present. Fox let his head roll to one side and felt the moisture creep up his cheek as he laid eyes on the murky red liquid he was lying in. He lifted his hand and held it above his face, watching the scarlet fluid drip from his fingertips; feeling each one land on his snout. The image returned him to his flight. Deep grief struck his heart as he returned his hands to his sight, perceiving in despair the blood that covered them not as his own, but as her's. A tear fell from his eye, mixing with the red liquid streaming from his scalp as it ran down his fur. " _I'm so sorry..._ " He looked up from his blood drenched hands and towards where Krystal's burning wreckage remained. Another tear rolled down his cheek as he choked out three unspoken words that only haunted him more with her passing. " _I love you..._ "

Dizziness set in and Fox began to feel light headed due to his sudden knowledge of blood-loss. He let his hand and arm fall back into the cold, thin spread pool; terrified to decipher what was reality. His HUD had scanned her fighter, her cockpit was sealed; she'd never ejected. _But you heard her cry, that… that was her!_ _You can't die here! You have... you have to save... save... her..._ Fox was slipping from consciousness fast. He focused on Krystal, not knowing what state she was in. All he knew was she was alive, and he'd been the only other one who pursued her into the atmosphere of the damned rock.

Fox's previously closing eyes snapped open as fiery passion and determination radiated from his hazel green irises. He rolled onto his side, ignoring the chill caused by his blood that continued to soak his fur and seep through his clothes as he brought himself to his knees. He looked up and around his tightly enclosed prison, giving his eyesight a moment to clear itself of the fog brought about by his movement.

Suddenly and violently he curled over as an overwhelming nausea rose in his stomach. Fox quickly made himself still, taking deep breaths until the nausea subsided. Once under control, Fox took another look around until he could perceive everything as it was. He looked up toward a section of the Arwing's flooring that held a built-in door; the escape hatch. _Better grab a mask first._ He reached over to another side compartment and pulled out a small, black, muzzle shaped mask that was designed to mold and fit to the wearers snout; allowing the wearer to breathe filtered oxygen.

Fox remembered his headset when it provided resistance against applying the mask. He removed the headset with his free hand, examining its extensive damage. _Pretty much done for…_ The eye visor had snapped off, the mic piece was bent and deformed, and the three-limbed body was dinged and dented enough that the internal parts had most likely taken damage. _At least you helped protect my skull from fracturing, and thank Lylat that visor didn't pierce my eye!_ Fox thought with the brief tilt of his head as he swapped the headset for the snout filter and applied it.

After strapping it on, he took a moment to wrap his dark red, black checkered shemagh around his neck in a way that covered more of his skin, and he rolled his white and grey soft-shell jacket sleeves down along his forearms.

Fox returned his attention to the escape hatch above him and slowly got to his feet; maneuvering his head between the seat and the dash board until the two rotating handles built into the secondary exit were easily in reach. Fox pulled both handles from their safety locks, took a preparatory breath, then rotated them. Two simultaneous clicks sounded off, then silence. Fox's brows furrowed as he pulled on the door to see if the air locks had disengaged; it didn't budge. Fox rotated both handles back to their starting position and tried again; this time there was no sound at all. _Oh hell…_

Fox pulled on the door again to find his sparking fear to be true, the inner mechanisms had faulted. His heart started to race as he retried his actions over and over, yanking on the hatch with all his might. _This isn't supposed to happen! This isn't supposed to happen!_ Fox violently continued trying to pull the hatch open. _These things are built to open under any condition!_ His roaring frustration brought him to punch the panel. " _Fuck_!" He spat, grasping his head as the pain spiked; bringing him near to a migraine. Fox looked down as his eyes danced in all directions; thinking of his next options as he fought the claustrophobic dread of being condemned to the metal tomb. _Okay, keep your head… There's another way out of here, there's always another way!_ He suddenly observed a three-decimeter long fracture the Arwing's dome. _Worth a try._

He searched for something he could use to break through the transparent canopy. _My rifle!_ Fox looked over at the compartment that was built into every Arwing to hold an aviator's secondary weapon while in flight; the rifle was still there. He grabbed and yanked it out of the holder, flipping the weapon around to use the butt of the weapon to break through the windshield trapping him in his fighter. He knelt back down, inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly; summoning as much energy as he could. Arwing protective canopies were made of dense polycarbonate; built to withstand blows from miniature asteroids as large as a meter in diameter, traveling at speeds of up to ten thousand kilometers an hour. The only hope Fox had of smashing through said cover was due to the cracks already placed in the windshield from the crash.

He aimed at the fracture, grasped his rifle with both hands as tight as his muscles would allow, swung the weapon above and past his right shoulder, and brought the butt of it hammering down on the center of the crack with enough force to split a concrete brick; no change. He swung again, nothing; the crack remained its original size. Fox took a deep breath, then began continuously swinging at the polycarbonate. He hit it a third time, then a forth.

 _Come on!_ His mind begged in desperation.

A fifth, a sixth.

 _Please just break!_

Seventh, eighth.

Fox's thoughts met his voice. "Damn glass, _break_!"

Ninth, tenth.

"You _piece_ of _shit_! _Why-_?!"

Eleventh.

"- _Won't-!_ "

Twelfth.

"- _You-!_ "

Thirteenth.

"- _Just-!_ "

Fourteenth.

"- _BREAK_!"

He went for another blow, but fell flat on his back mid-swing; returning to the crimson wet surface beneath him. The pain in his head had numbed into the migraine, further depleting his already spent energy. Fox couldn't even summon anything to release a howl of anger; he just lay there, his backside soaking in blood, feeling defeated.

 _NO!_ He scolded himself. Y _ou aren't giving up! If there is ANY chance she is still out there, you will, not, quit!_ Fox looked around, thinking of another way out. He didn't dare try shooting through the cover, lest the blast bounce right back into his face. Since the Arwing was upside down, opening the hatch was out of the question; that's when it hit him. _We're just going to have to get this fighter right side up!_

Fox looked through the window and observed the angle of his fighter. The nose was touching the ground and pointing towards the opening left by the Arwing in whatever it was it smashed through, which meant the engines were aimed towards the inside of the structure; angled towards the ceiling.

Fox rolled back up onto his knees, placed his rifle back in its compartment, and looked up at the switch that powered his fighter and flipped it to the on position; no response. He checked all the power routing switches that prepared the energies path of travel throughout the Arwing, ensuring they were all correctly configured; they were. Fox gave the main power switch another try with no success. "Yeah... that's what I thought…" He muttered. _Still might have the reserves, though I'll have to route it to the booster engines manually..._ Fox maneuvered himself back between the seat and the dashboard, obtaining a position where he was looking down at what was normally considered underneath the control panel.

Reaching into his jacket pocket, Fox pulled out a single bladed pocket knife that his father gave him as a kit, flipped the blade out, and used it to carefully pry off the metal sheet that hid and protected the wires in the dash. Examining the internal wiring, Fox caught sight of a small, flashing light bulb that indicated remaining reserve power. "Now we're getting somewhere." He set to work on the wiring, directing all power to the engines while leaving enough of it for the control panel in order to fire up said engines when ready.

After a couple minutes of work, and a time or two of getting a slight zap from electricity, the power was connected exactly where Fox wanted it. Fox smoothly put the knife back in its pocket of origin; a corner of his mouth curving into a smile. "Thanks dad." He quietly remarked, then froze. ' _Just a dream'..._ Fox instantly was back in flight, starring into his blood drenched hands. " _I'm so sorry..._ " He looked up from his fit of trembling and towards where Krystal's burning wreckage remained. Another tear rolled down his cheek as he choked out three unspoken words that only haunted him more with her passing. "I love you..."

 _Just a dream!_ a familiar male voice suddenly filled Fox's head, followed by a sudden beeping from the Arwing's control panel. Fox looked at the source of the noise and realized he had five seconds before he flew straight into the planet's surface.

Fox felt no urge to react, he wanted to die.

 _JUST A DREAM!_

Again, he recognized the voice. In the second before the last, hoping the words were true, Fox's instincts kicked back in as he grabbed his Arwing's control stick and yanked it rearward with as much force as he could; sparing himself for his present state.

Fox repeated the words over and over as he tried to recall their sound. _'Just a dream!'…_ _Could that... really have been you?!_

Fox remembered the first time he had come across his father on this rock; watching himself fire away at Andross while dodging the ginormous hands that swiped at him. He burned the monster down to a horrifying, brain-like form; then the beast suddenly erupted into a propulsive, fiery explosion in hopes of taking Fox down with him.

"Don't ever give up, my son." A warm voice called out.

" _Father_?!" Fox had responded. In the brightness of the blast, Fox caught sight of an identical Arwing.

"Follow me Fox." Was the reply.

Following it back through the tunnels and out to safety, barely clearing the explosion, the fighter vanished; and Fox never saw it again.

"What's wrong Fox?" Peppy's echo asked?

"Nothing…" Replied his own whisper.

' _Nothing's wrong.'_ He heard himself finish presently. _Still_ c _ould've just been your own conscious... Come on Fox, your father's dead! It was your own instincts that got you out that day..._ Fox began to run through everything he knew about the rock on which he was currently stranded. _Was the nightmare even from my own head?_ Fox snapped the cover to the opening in the dash back in place and then returning to his knees. _Don't have time for meditation, either way I'll have to keep my sanity in check._ He looked up at his seat. _Time for a little calisthenics…_

Facing the opposite direction of the seat, Fox reached up and got a firm grip on the sides of the seat, then he pulled himself up with his arms, simultaneously using the rest of his upper and mid body to roll up into the natural position of one sitting in a cockpit. Fox was upside down at this point, and by tucking his legs underneath his seat he was able to hang in place while he strapped himself in tight. "No injuries this time _._ "Alarm struck him when he was reminded of his scalp-wounds by the blood rushing to his head. " _Better do this quick._ "

Fox turned on his control panel and brought his engines roaring to life. His right hand reached over to the thruster lever and grasped it firmly. _And in three, two, one._ Fox sent the lever to its forward position. The boosters sent fire spitting from their pipes, and the fighter gradually began to edge forward before blasting off at a remarkable speed.

The nose of the spacecraft instantly barreled through one side of the structure's opening and pierced into what Fox recognized to be a hover-car. The vehicle slid with the arwing until it slammed into a steel barricade, bringing it to a halt and giving the resistance he was looking for. The rear half of the jet shot skyward, and the entire Arwing vaulted over onto its underside. Fox had kept one hand on the thruster and immediately pulled it back the moment his arwing was right side up. The engines slowly died, and all was quiet.

Fox breathed a sigh of relief, then began to chuckle like a merry mad genius. "It worked." He said, pausing from his chuckling but starting right back up after his statement was finished. He placed his hands on his head and slid them down his face, ignoring the sting and still-damp blood from his wounds that had soaked nearly all his fur and clothing. He paused his chuckling again. "I can't believe it _worked_!" He looked up and took in his surroundings through the splattered scarlet fluid that now coated his windshield; the air of his mood quickly grew serious and on edge. The mist remained thin on red planet's surface, revealing an unobstructed first-hand view of The Storm's aftermath.

Fox had landed in the outskirts of what remained of one of the many once thriving cities on the toxic rock. Not a soul could be seen; buildings lay badly damaged or reduced to mountains of rubble; hover-vehicles left charred, warped, and shattered; steel streets made warped, cracked, and strewn with rubble and de-rooted tree skeletons that had once burst with life; all of this shadowed in a grim red hue that suffocated it all.

Suddenly the angelic, yet terrified voice of the one who was down here with him rang through his head.

 _Someone... please... help me..._ Her words were weak and sewn with fear.

All thoughts occupying Fox's conscience died out, and his foremost mission took over as he unbuckled himself and leaned forward. _I'm coming Krystal. Don't worry, I'm coming!_ He thought as strong as he could, hoping she could hear his message. He feared she was hurt and didn't have much time left; if it wasn't too late already. _What if that's fake...?_ Fox froze in place. _What if she is dead, and either my brain or this place is still playing with me... no!_ Hegrabbed his blaster rifle from its compartment, performing a quick function check on it. _That's her voice alright, just as strong and clear as when she's communicated with me in the past! Until you see a body telling you different, you're not wasting another second in this cockpit!_

Finding the rifle completely functional, loaded, and ready to fire, Fox grasped the rotating handle that would unlatch the air locks holding the canopy down to the frame of the cockpit; sending up a quick prayer before twisting it. A simultaneous series of clicks and squeaks sounded off, followed by a short and sharp hiss of the outside air rushing in as the cover was released from its holster. _Thank Lylat!_ He placed his free hand on the cover and pressed upwards, flipping it over and allowing himself to climb out of the Arwing unhindered.

The moment he stood fully encompassed in the red planet's atmosphere was when he met, for the first time in his life, the humid, merciless heat that the rock contained. It was worse than any desert Fox had ever visited, or lived in for that matter on his home planet, Papetoon. The heat seemed to vacuum the very energy from his very body, while the moisture clung to his fur and clothes till he was nearly soaked; further dampening the blood that coated his fur, creating a sticky feeling over his entire being.

He hopped off the Arwing and landed softly on the ground, when an overwhelming chill ran through his entire body. Fox had been here before, but never had he physically set foot on the planet's surface; he'd always flown at least one hundred meters above it. Now here he was roaming its very grounds. He could feel the malicious aura about the place that he knew had always existed, and Krystal was here. _Please Krystal, PLEASE be alright..._

In that moment, Fox's eyes recognized what he had first acknowledged as different sized branches from a burned tree, to be an incinerated corpse; lying a few meters from his foot, partially buried underneath scattered rubble. Next to it lay a fleshless, blackened hand that led to another carcass, then another, and another, until his vision completely took in the endless mass of corpses that intermixed with all the rubble and wreckage, nearly blanketing the streets; each posed in its own tormented position. Fox caught sight of more in the cabs of different hovercraft, others hung out from surviving window frames, balconies, and roofs; nothing but blackened skeletons with crisp, scorched muscle barely clinging to some of their bones at best.

' _Think of it, Mr. McCloud.'_

Fox's pupils slowly dilated as his hands clenched his rifle; the ghostly words taking the reins of his consciousness.

' _Green_.'


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _Four hours prior_

Fox McCloud's frustration was growing by the second as he cruised over planet Fichina's icy surface in his own fighter. He eyed a middle-aged pug, dressed in a green space combat jumpsuit, via a video conference on the HUD of his headset; his tone towards the pug hid no emotion. "We have your transmission on our ship's log, it clearly identifies Sergeant Rufflin as the creator and obvious sender of the message!"

A young golden retriever dressed in similar attire as the pug he stood next to, of a blue coloration, stepped back in bewilderment; his eyes searching for an explanation within himself.

"Face it Fox, we've been hoaxed; _again_." The blue falcon grumbled, wanting nothing more than to turn his starcraft around and return to the Great Fox II.

The pug spoke for the retriever. "I too am very disturbed by this recording. I'll give a copy to the intelligence field and have them start analyzing it right away, but Sergeant Rufflin had nothing to do with this. We have security footage that shows him leading a physical training session at the same time as _your_ footage's data claims it was recorded. I can also assure you that there is no threat on Fichina or this military outpost, especially one as serious as your transmission described."

Fox's frustration erupted into fury. "I dragged my team all the way out here to respond to the call; I _will not_ turn around without answers!"

The pug leaned in toward the screen that allowed him to view Fox, staring him dead in the eye and speaking in a warning tone. "Make a demand like that again, _mercenary_ , and I will have my airmen physically escort you, and your team, _off_ this planet. You have your answer, there is _nothing_ terrorizing Fichina. Andross is dead; so is his grandson, and the planet which they both had resided on. _Accept it_." With that, the pug disappeared from the HUD of the fox's headset. Communications had been terminated.

….

Fox slid his bedroom door shut behind him, then let himself fall back against it. The blue falcon's words burned in his head; _'You're losing it Fox! You've dragged us to_ every _corner of the galaxy, responding to every little sign of danger that's linked to what happened two years ago; TWO YEARS AGO! I'm done! The whole team's done! Next time you want to check out a distress call, you're on your own!'_

The Star Fox team had all been in the hanger upon their return from Fichina, where the blue falcon had unleashed his opinion of Fox.

Slippy had instantly stepped in to try to ease the assault. "C-c'mon Falco, Fox is j-just trying

to-"

" _DON'T_ Slippy!" Falco ordered, pointing at him with his entire arm. " _Don't_ make me go off on _you too_." Slippy nervously drew back, and Falco turned his glare back at Fox; who's defeated gaze had lowered and looked away. "Unless it's from Peppy himself, we're _done_. You're not _fit_ to call these shots _anymore_."

A slender, pink furred rabbit was next to speak up. "Hold on, that was not called for! Fox has always been an _excellent_ leader to us! Just because-"

" _Lucy_." Fox called sternly.

The rabbit fell silent and looked over at Fox in confusion.

"Enough..." He said, not even glancing at her as he turned and began walking toward his bay; where he now stood with his back pressed against his door.

Terror filled him at the realization that he was driving away his team, especially Slippy. _You've been my best friend since childhood, attended the Cornerian Flight academy with me, and you were the only real friend that stuck with me during..._ Fox grunted in shame, sliding down to a sitting position and letting his legs fall limp towards their own sides. _I might have just ruined that for good..._

Fox shut his eyes, thinking of how Slippyhad backed down upon trying to stand up for him. _Am I a lost cause? Have your efforts to aid me through all these years been in vain?_ Fox wished he could find a voice to fight the demons rising inside him, but none would speak.

 _Too bad you had to leave us Peppy..._ Fox's eyes opened and looked towards the rusted ceiling in desolation, feeling even more helpless with the absence of the only father he had left. _What would you think if you were here now? Would you side with Falco...?_

Fox grit his teeth behind his lips. _You shouldn't even care what that bird says, you know he's always thought himself better than you anyway!_ Fox weakened as his conscience began to counter him; his eyes lowering back to the cold floor. Even Falco had been there to give him the push he needed when he needed it. Fox hated to admit it, but Falco was the only one he could trust, without a doubt, to always give him an honest opinion; kind or cruel. _Never thought I'd bond with the likes of you, but sure enough: here I am crushed by your own words..._ Fox thought with the little humor he had left.

Lifting his shoulders with an inhale, then letting them fall with a sigh of surrender, Fox slowly got to his feet and removed his jacket that he always wore over his olive green, sleeveless tactical combat shirt; accompanied by cargo pants of the same color and his shemagh.

He tossed away the jacket before he pulled off his headset, setting it on a meter-high filing cabinet he used as a nightstand. With that, he turned away from and fell back first onto his bed; careless to the feeling of his knee high, crimson armored black leather boots still on his feet and his grey hand-blaster holster that he had strapped to his right leg and brown belt.

It was no surprise to him what came next, yet it was still accompanied by the sharp sting. _What would she think of what I'm doing;_ Memories of the campaigns flashed before his eyes, and the haunting voice that accompanied them echoed in his ears. _What I've done…_ The memories were instantly followed by the blue flash that exploded across the red planet; branching over its entire surface; shattering and incinerating everything it tore through. Before, the sight brought him merciless rage; Now, as the months passed his decision to stand by and watch the campaigner bring about the slaughter of the planetary mass of billions, it brought only desolate shame.

A knock on the door woke Fox from his thoughts. "…Come in." Fox answered, without moving more than his mouth.

In stepped Lucy, wearing a fitted pair of grey weather resistant pants and jade green long sleeve shirt that helped maintain her body heat alongside her fur. She also dawned the uniform red shemagh; and on her feet were a pair of armored black boots that she also had lined with fur.

Lucy addressed Fox with gentle urgency. "We've received a transmission from my father; he needs to speak with you."

 _Been awhile since we've heard from you, Peppy._ Fox thought curiously. "I'll be right up." He replied, still motionless.

"Please hurry, he sounded urgent." She paused for a moment. "Fox?"

Fox forced himself to look over his shoulder at her.

Lucy regarded him with soft, twinkling eyes colored the same as her fur; underneath her long, relaxed ears. "Please don't let what Falco said stand for the rest of us. We care about you; we just don't want to see you lose yourself to the past."

Fox remained silent. Seconds passed before he went back to staring at the wall his bed sided with. "I'll be right up, alright?" He waited for her to leave, but after a short pause he was surprised with feeling her lips press against his cheek as she gave him a soft kiss; his nerves became hot with embarrassment.

Lucy spoke in a soft, soothing voice. "We're never going to abandon you, I promise." With that, she turned and left the room.

Fox lay still for a moment longer, trying to convince himself to believe her; but to no avail. _Well… better not keep Peppy waiting._ Fox got to his feet and picked up his jacket and headset, putting them both back on as he walked. He stepped out into the hallway and made his way towards the stairs leading to the bridge of the Great Fox II.

The Great Fox II wasn't as nice as the first Great Fox, nor as roomy due to three quarters of the hull composing of two large hangers that had plenty of room for storing their aircraft and other cargo but didn't work very well for living space. To remedy, Fox had Slippy and R.O.B. turn a row of six extra cargo compartments in the back of the ship into bedrooms. Small and dim as they were, they were at least a suitable place to sleep.

Fox reached the top of the stairs and looked around the bridge. Control panels were lined up along the bottom of a large, three panel wide window that looked out over the exterior deck of the ship and into the vastness of space. A cylindrical holographic table sat in the center of the room. Gathered around the table was R.O.B., Lucy, Falco, Slippy, and Amanda.

Falco had taken on Fox's style upon joining Star Fox, though his shirt and pants were dark red-orange and his leather boots were armored with weathered silver.

Slippy wore a blue, poplin constructed pair of long sleeve coveralls accompanied by the logoed, soft-shell jacket, the red, checkered shemagh, and white boots of the same build as Fox's. Slippy additionally sported a red and white ball cap day in and day out.

Amanda wore a bright green long sleeve shirt and fitted pants with the same white boots as Slippy. She often refrained from wearing the Star Fox jacket, finding it pointless with her cold-blooded biology; something she often prodded Slippy about for still proudly wearing his. Amanda additionally sported a bright yellow ribbon on top of her head.

On the table in the middle of the team was a blue hologram of the decorated, Cornerian military dress uniformed General Peppy Hare; with a look of distress and annoyance on his face. " _There_ you are Fox! You'd better watch yourself boy, soon enough you'll be moving slower than me!" Peppy said playfully, trying to cover his irritation.

Nervous as he was returning to the presence of his team, Fox smiled; something about seeing Peppy usually helped alleviate his stress. "Been awhile old hare, life as a general still treating you fair?"

"No time for chit-chat Fox, I have a matter that demands attention and could really use your help!"

"Well, here at Star Fox we certainly love it when matters demand _our_ attention." Fox nonchalantly remarked, taking a cautious glance at Falco; who met his eyes and merely raised an eyebrow at him, his expression still irritable. Fox ignored his clenching gut as his eyes returned to Peppy. "What's the situation?"

"The Cornerian forces sent out their usual weekly convoy to go circle planet Venom's diameter and ensure no activity was taking place. Things had been quiet ever since The Storm, but today the planet, _once again_ , had a surprise in store for us... Five minutes ago, the convoy was attacked as it came around to the far side of the planet from its sun, Solar. The attack force was large and quickly overwhelmed them. We've dispatched reinforcements but I'm afraid that they won't make it in time. The convoy needs back up now!"

Falco interrupted, "Let me guess, your scanners show that we're close by and you want us to step in until backup shows up?"

"Precisely!" Peppy exclaimed. "You're less than five minutes from the planet, our forces won't arrive for another ten to fifteen. I've already sent you the convoy's exact location. Please Fox, their lives are in jeopardy!"

"Already on our way general." Fox switched his attention to his team. "R.O.B., get this ship headed towards the convoy's coordinates and prepare its defenses and firepower. Slippy, get down to the hangers and start getting all our fighters warmed up and combat ready. Everyone else, prepare yourselves for battle."

"I knew I could count on you Fox!"

"What are we going up against?"

"That's the other strange part, the attack force was composed Anglars and Aparoids."

Fox took a step back. "Working _together_?! What are _Aparoids_ even doing on _Venom_?! Any remaining Anglars _themselves_ shouldn't have survived the _Cornerian_ government wiping that rock _lifeless_?!" Fox asked aggressively.

The General shrugged in defeat. "I wish I knew Fox, that planet has spit out enough mysteries to drive a _rocket_ scientist mad… I'm just thankful it's a leftover group of renegades and not Andross himself returning; _again_."

" _Yet..."_ Fox murmured with angst. _That ape could never just die, all starting with Venom..._

"Fox!" Peppy's voice brought Fox back to reality. "We lost you for a moment there, are you alright?"

"Yeah, fine." Fox replied. He looked up at his team. "You guys ready for this?"

"This bird has been ready to get back in the air and into some _real_ action for a long time." Said Falco, giving Fox a noticeable glare while twirling his laser pistol on his feathered finger as he headed toward the stairs. Amanda and Lucy followed suit.

Peppy called out to Lucy before she left. "Do be careful my dear, it scares me enough watching you fly out into the danger zone; I couldn't stand losing you to it..."

Lucy turned and acknowledged her father. "Don't worry papa, this rabbit's got speed! They won't even see her coming!" She said with an adventurous smile, then turned and followed the rest of the team down the stairs; slipping on a white, purple shouldered, fur lined cold weather jacket that she preferred to wear when flying out in the freezing temperatures of outer space.

"I'll watch over her too, old hare." Fox said comfortingly. "Anything else before I head to my Arwing?"

"…There is… one more little detail..."

Fox didn't like the hesitance in his voice. "And that would be?"

"I... called in Star Wolf to help as well…"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Fox's entire body tensed. "Say again?"

Peppy's suspicion that this wouldn't be good news to Fox was confirmed by the look of horror on his face. "I said that I called in the in the Star Wolf team to assist you."

Fox put both his hands on his forehead and slowly dragged them down to the end of his snout. "Peppy, _please_ tell me this is a joke."

"I'm afraid not Fox… However, I have picked up few good ones that are real knockout! For another time, of cour-.

Fox placed his hands on the holographic table harder than he intended; his shock quickly transforming into anger. "Peppy, _what_ in _Lylat_ were you thinking?!"

"Look Fox there really is no time to argue, that convoy..."

"That convoy is going to end up in even more danger! Have you forgotten that Star Fox and Star Wolf are not on the best of terms?! For Lylat's sake Peppy, _Krystal_ 's on that team!"

"Watch yourself boy. I know you and Krystal have a history together, and yes maybe this wasn't my best decision… but as General of the Cornerian army I needed to make a call; we need as many assets as we can get!"

Fox grit his teeth, stepped back, and breathed a heavy sigh. _Show him some respect, he's only trying to help…_ Fox recomposed himself and began again, trying to cover the irritation that still burned inside him. "How did you even get them to agree to this?"

"One of the most powerful things in the universe."

 _Currency._ Fox thought, feeling stupid for asking that question.

"As for why I called them in, I will reiterate how great a number of fighters attacked our convey! I was afraid they would be too great for even you to handle, and I didn't want to put you or your team in any more danger than I had too. When I saw that Star Wolf was also in the area, I contacted them and paid a _painfully_ large sum for Wolf and his team to help out. I informed them that you would be there as well, and that they were _not_ to open fire on you. If they do, I will send the Cornerian reinforcements that's on its way after them as soon as this is all over."

Fox approached the table and slammed his hands down upon it, losing all emotional control. " _Krystal,_ is _on,_ that _team_!"

Peppy stood his ground; remaining completely calm and trying to sound understanding. "Fox, I looked at Krystal as I do my own daughter, and we can hope that she'll influence Star Wolf against any impulsive actions, but you know better than I do that joining them was her choice. If she takes part in an assault against you or us, she will be dealt with no different than them."

Fox stepped back from the table and turned away from the general, becoming completely still. Inside his head, no stillness existed. _How could you do this Peppy?! I could end up having to fight her! I can't do that; you should know I can't! I couldn't even stand by and watch someone else take her down! Why, Peppy?! What in the fuck are you thinking?!_

"Fox?" Peppy patiently called.

Fox gave no reply. He remained motionless; staring ferociously at the staircase ahead of him.

"Fox, soldiers are dying. I need Star Fox out there; I fear it may already be too late..."

Fox closed his eyes and bowed his head.

The intercom came on, Fox recognized Slippy's voice. "Fox! I've got the Arwings up and ready to go; you coming or what?!" Slippy sounded anxious and high pitched as usual.

A couple seconds passed before Fox breathed a defeated sigh through his snout and looked over at R.O.B. "How close are we?"

"WE ARE CLOSING IN ON THE LOCATION. ETA TWO MINUTES." R.O.B. answered.

"Let Slippy know I'm on my way." Without giving a single glance towards General Hare, Fox began heading toward the stairs.

Peppy spoke up after him. "Thank you Fox, and good luck to you and your team. Regardless of how you feel right now, know I'm always proud of the great leader you are; your father would feel the same."

Fox hadn't stopped walking until that final statement. Silence hung in the room, awaiting Fox's response. Without moving a decimeter further, he sternly announced, " _Terminate transmission_." Fox listened to the sound of Peppy's holographic figure dissipating from the table before stepping off. He paused at the top of the stairs and looked back at R.O.B. "R.O.B, you and Slippy did finish the laser cannon I asked for?"

"MY READOUT SHOWS THE MULTI-SHOT LASER CANNON LOCATED ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FRONT END OF THE GREAT FOX II IS AT ONE-HUNDERED PERCENT OPERATIONAL CAPACITY."

"And the ships missiles are locked and loaded?"

"ALL SIX ARE ON STANDBY."

Fox had forgotten that he also had Slippy and R.O.B. install three extra missile ports on the vessel. "Good. Once we're out and on our way to the location, get within firing distance of the battlefield. If this gets messy, we'll need you as back up." With that he turned back around and made his way down the stairs.

It took Fox less than thirty seconds to reach the hanger, yet every second was haunted by the thought of the situation he may face with the blue vixen. _The hard truth is, it's still your fault._ He thought, referring to himself. _You kicked her off the team, you left her alone, and now you are going to have to face her in a way that you completely deserve._ Upon arrival to the hanger, Fox found his whole team ready and waiting in their individual starcrafts.

Falco was the first to make a comment. "What took ya so long? You and Peppy havin' a little love chat up there? We was about to leave without ya."

 _Far from a love chat... At least you're letting go of what happened earlier._ Fox thought, smiling at the criticism as he climbed up into his Arwing: a steel white starfighter with triangular hull and rear-swept wings.

Fox landed in the padded seat of the starcraft and wirelessly connected his headset to the team's main communication frequency, using it to playfully jab back at Falco; "Aw, you'd miss me too much. Besides, who's gonna cover your feathered tail if you leave me behind?" Fox could tell he hit home by Falco's reaction.

"Excuse me? I've saved your furry pelt twice as much! Mr. insecure!"

 _Maybe not._

Amanda's voice came over all the team's headsets. "Boys, you're both pretty. Let's not forget we still need to work _together_?"

Slippy was the next to speak. "You tell em, my beautiful water lily!"

"You always knew how to back me up honey." Amanda responded warmly.

"Just spare us the _pleasantry_ of you two's love fest and let's get this show on the road." Falco said as he finished his pre-flight checks from the cockpit of his Sky Claw: a modified Arwing with a broad, forward swept wingspan that had claw-like tips resembling a falcon.

Once finished, Falco closed the transparent hatch of his cockpit and used the Sky Claw's joystick to lift the starcraft off the floor. He then rotated towards the large opening displaying a blue force field that separated the oxygen inside the Great Fox II from the atmosphere of space, and bolted through it faster than the animal eye could blink.

Fox slowly shook his head in both amusement and annoyance at the avian's exit. Falco tuned the Sky Claw for speed and maneuverability, making it the fastest of the whole team's, and often bragged and showed off the capabilities he had added to his ship by hole-in-the-wall mechanics he came across on different planets; all of them friends from his past life that owed him favors for dirty work he had done for them during his days as leader of his own gang.

Slippy grabbed Fox's attention by almost ramming into his Arwing with his own fighter: the Bullfrog. Self-modified by Slippy to be the team's bomber, the body of his Arwing was much wider and bulkier than the others, decreasing its speed, but allowing it to carry a heavier armament. Slippy clumsily led the Bullfrog from its resting place out into the infinite beyond, nearly bumping into the remaining starfighters on his way out with the added ' _pardon me, sorry, coming through_ ' at each close call.

Fox chuckled lightheartedly at his little green friend as he sealed his cockpit window and started his own checks. Meanwhile, Amanda flew out after Slippy in her Tadpole: a literal title, being that its body was shaped and painted like a green tadpole. Built as a civilian amphibious craft, it was able to operate under water; something Fox gladly integrated into the team. They had already taken advantage of the ability during side jobs to keep a sustainable income to cover food, fuel, repairs, and living expenses; if they ever took up temporary refuge on a planet. Slippy had quickly worked to arm it with a multi-lock laser canon/Nova launcher, and a high-powered shield generator.

Lucy caught Fox's eye as she lifted off the ground in her fighter and set off to join the rest out in the stars, her face radiating with excitement. Lucy flew the Sky Bunny: not an Arwing, but a craft she had built and armed herself when she first started flying; hoping to impress and join up with the great Star Fox, like her father before her. It had a metallic pink and black circular body with white, mid-sized wings and two vertical stabilizers decaled with pink hearts.

Fox recalled his promise to Peppy to keep Lucy safe, and Peppy's expressing his pride in Fox. He believed Peppy had complete confidence in his abilities, yet inside: he was terrified. Fox knew he would give it his all to make sure that his whole team made it back in one piece, but he dreaded the day that wouldn't be enough.

Three enemy fighters suddenly appeared above the Great Fox and pursued Lucy. Fox instantly launched his fighter and pushed its speed to its limits trying to get to her, only to witness in horror her Sky Bunny be shot down and obliterated.

Fox cringed himself out of the hallucination. Out of all his teammates, Fox felt most responsible for Lucy. Peppy trusted his daughter's judgment to serve on the Star Fox team, as well as Fox to safeguard and watch over her. If she perished under Fox's command, her blood would be on his hands. He would never be able to face her father again, let alone his own team.

 _"_ Coming Fox?" Fox was once again woken from his thoughts by Slippy's voice.

Fox looked up to see that everyone else had flown out of the hanger. "Yeah, one sec…" He answered as he quickly grabbed the joystick of his Arwing and increased power to the four on-board engines built onto the wings of every Arwing; appearing as large, blue, right-triangular structures placed atop and underneath each wing. Known as G-Diffusers, these engines allowed the Arwing to hover in air or space flight, accelerate or decelerate instantaneously, and perform a wide variety of high performance combat maneuvers.

The tranquil sensation of floating overcame Fox as he lifted off the hanger floor, drawing a smirk from him. _Light as a feather._ He gently pulled back on his thruster lever and sent the Arwing effortlessly forward till it brought him outside the Great Fox II; where he was instantly surrounded by an armada of stars that lit up the dark vastness of space.

Fox smirk slowly fell. There was a time when stars were beautiful, a view he would never tire of. _Now they're the only thing you left Krystal with…_ Ever since, he could always feel them watching him; condemning him. _No time…_ Fox thought as he scanned the area for his crew.

His eyepiece HUD located them a few kilometers up ahead; and the combat a few thousand kilometers ahead of them. Peppy was right: the attack force was not a small group of renegades on a suicide mission to kill a few Cornerians in revenge for what had been done to their planet; this was meant to overwhelm and destroy the convoy. The whole scene looked far fiercer than an explosive light show that many planets put on for mere entertainment. Lasers and plasma fire and rockets flew in every direction, ships erupted left and right, and pieces of what had originally been a variety of spacecraft floated all over the battlefield. "No wonder Peppy had been so urgent…" Fox muttered to himself, feeling guilty for being so argumentative with him back on the bridge.

He recognized Falco's voice coming through the headset. "You gonna join us up here _cap_ '?"

Fox realized he was still a good distance behind his team, and quickly put his thrusters to full capacity to catch up. _Wake up Fox!_ He thought sternly. _If you keep zoning out like this, you are going to wind up getting yourself and your team killed!_ Fox pushed all his worries out of his mind. He still looked upon the future with angst, but his team needed him. He would be sure to put everything he had into staying focused and completing the mission. _For Lylat, for its citizens, for my family_ …

Fox finally caught up with his team and took the lead. By now his HUD showed they had about twenty seconds until they would enter the chaos.

"What's the plan Fox?" Lucy asked, her voice matched her facial expression that Fox had observed back in the hanger.

"We need to fight our way to the convoy's main battle cruiser, form a perimeter, and push outwards. That will give us some space to rally what's left of the Cornerian fighters, as well as the Star Wolf team." _If they'd be willing to cooperate._ Fox added to himself, still petrified of encountering the Krystal. When he heard his whole team simultaneously express their astonishment towards his mentioning of Star Wolf, he remembered that they weren't on the bridge when Peppy had passed that on.

"When were you planning to inform us of this little piece of information?!" Falco said, his voice portrayed a mix of shock and anger.

"No time, the battles upon us!"

The whole team immediately fell silent and switched their focus to being combat ready as they sped right into the carnage. It was like stepping out of a dark room and straight into one bursting with light and chaos. The whole scene blinded them for a moment. Things seemed bad enough from a distance, now they just stepped in the doorway.

"Take evasive action!" Fox yelled into his headset mic as the whole team began dodging obstacles and firing at enemy fighters. His HUD lit up with information as he worked; Peppy's Intel was correct: the attack consisted of both Aparoids and Anglars. One by one Fox locked onto every hostile fighter that went to pass him, igniting them using his duel hyper laser cannons built between the G-Diffusers, one under each wing, before they could even acknowledge the Arwing.

Falco zoomed overhead Fox, quickly gaining on a couple of Aparoids and successfully nailing both dead center, one right after the other, using only a single laser cannon. The Sky Claw's basic armaments kept its frame light, retaining its reputable speed, but Falco made it well known that he could take down just as many targets as Fox could with his Arwing's dual cannons; if not more, as his Sky Claw held multi-lock capabilities similar to Fox's.

Falco proceeded to descend into the hoard below, lighting up every Anglar and Aparoid within his reach.

Fox swiftly rolled his fighter out of the way of laser fire from an oncoming Anglar, then managed to cross it again before it passed; delivering a death blow to the craft with a charged blast from his laser cannons.

"Nice barrel roll Fox!" He heard Lucy say over the comm link.

Fox shuddered at Lucy's comment. "Just like your father…" He muttered.

Falco's voice burst into the comms. "How about a little help for the bird with a _parasite latched to him!_ Fox looked over to see the Sky Claw rising with an Aparoid that had successfully grabbed onto the engine; struggling to hang on through Falco's violent rolls and lurching maneuvers.

Lucy was on Falco's left, weaving through blasts, scrap, and starcrafts as she struggled to get a lock on the mechanic bug in the Sky Claw's feathers. "Stop thrashing for a second and I'll _blast it_!" Lucy had armed her vessel with a single lock plasma cannon built into the front of the fighter. Like Falco, her shield generators were slightly less than standard strength; driving her to train as hard as she could to make up for it in skill.

Now, putting all her practice to work, Lucy patiently gained a lock on the Aparoid clinging to Falco's Sky Claw and hammered it with blasts until it was shredded into scrap.

"Took ya long enough!" Falco griped as he reoriented his fighter.

"You could've just gone into a barrel roll long enough to generate your electromagnetic shield." Lucy proudly stated.

A couple seconds of silence followed.

"…You could've suggested that!" Falco exploded.

Lucy carelessly shrugged inside her Sky Bunny as she pulled away towards her next targets. "The ace pilot Falco Lombardi: should've known."

" _Yeah_ , you're right! Serves me for expecting help from a _teammate_!"

Amanda broke into the argument. "Ya'll need to lock your traps!" She flew her Tadpole between a Cornerian fighter and three pursuing Anglars plus an Aparoid; interrupting their flight path. "Girl can't think with all that chatter!"

The four hostiles split away from each other as Amanda whipped the Tadpole around and began taking them out one by one before they had a chance to gain their bearings.

Slippy had been keeping tabs on her actions and swooped around to flank the rest with his plasma cannon; he'd switched it out with the laser cannon his Arwing originally came with, though he missed a time or two since the cannon held no lock on capabilities. "You mess with one Toad, you mess with them _both_!"

Amanda smirked and slightly shook her head, keeping her eyes trained her targets. "But I attacked _them_ baby."

Slippy was caught by his own tongue. "Yeah, w-well… they… obviously h-had plans to fire back! And I won't let that happen!" He finished proudly as he blasted the final Anglar and aligned the Bullfrog alongside the Tadpole.

Amanda blushed with an amused smile. "I can always count on you honey." She answered affectionately as she increased her speed to stay with him and avoid getting blasted by the countless occupants of the surrounding battlefield.

The conversation had drawn Fox like a magnet and pierced his heart like a dagger. _Slippy's the kind of guy who would jump at his own shadow, yet he got over the fear of his love, let alone his WIFE, fighting by his side. Why couldn't I?!_ Forcing himself to stay focused, Fox tuned them out and slowed his Arwing's speed to help another Cornerian fighter that was being chased down by an Aparoid and-, _is that a Dragon?!_

Fox directed his HUD to scan the starcraft. It confirmed the historic polygonal build of the Dragon fighter, as well as identified the pilot as a member of the lizard suborder that lived on Venom and had been under Andross' manipulation during the Lylat wars. He hadn't seen any Androssian fighters since the rebellion led by Andrew Oikonny preceding the Aparoid invasion, where Fox presumed they had destroyed the last of them.

 _What in the universe would bring three completely separate armies of selfish motive to work together like this? Is this really just to get back at the Cornerians by taking down one simple convoy? Why would they rally on Venom? Once the Cornerian cavalry gets here, their entire group will be wiped out! Their intentions couldn't be more than destroying this small Cornerian force. Unless... is there more?_

"Fox!" Falco's voice brought Fox back to reality. "Watch your tail, you've got three Anglars behind you and they've got a lock!"

Fox reacted on instinct and pushed down on his controls, ducking just in time to avoid a group of plasma blasts that whizzed overhead. He then began to survey the surrounding warzone through his HUD and get a grip on what was happening. _Damn it Fox!_ He scolded himself, _stop letting yourself get distracted. You're already failing your team!_

Slippy's voice came over Fox's headset. "There's the Cornerian battle cruiser, we made it!"

Fox searched past all the fighters, lasers, and plasma blasts tore by every side of him through the scrap filled sector of space, spotting the cruiser they were all after. Fox quickly took command, forgetting all about the Androssian fighter that had sent him diving into his thoughts. "Alright guys, start forming that perimeter and getting us some leg room! R.O.B., you read me?"

"YOUR VOICE IS COMING IN CLEAR. HOW MAY I BE OF ASSISTANCE?"

"I need you to use the Great Fox II's firepower to keep an escape route open, in case we need it." Fox threw his Arwing into an aileron role to deflect of flurry of laser fire that was sent his way by an Anglar and another Dragon fighter; driving his fighter down so as to pass underneath his assaulters. "Slippy, Amanda; help R.O.B. out by doing the same thing with your own fighters. Lucy, Falco, and I will clear that perimeter."

Right after he finished giving his order, a new voice came over the comm link. "Quite the commander there, aren't you _Star Fox_? Gotta say I'm impressed; you really know how to take control of a situation after nearly being _blown up_."

Fox recognized it instantly; he knew that menacing growl anywhere. " _Wolf_."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"It's been quite a while Fox; five years, wasn't it? Seems like a lot has happened since, with the restoration of Venom and all; that was quite the protest against your little friend's scheme." Wolf said with a taunting chuckle.

"Couldn't just stand by and wait for fate to pick the victor." Fox murmured as he struggled to spot Wolf and his team.

"Never play against fate Fox. I'm sure it wasn't your wish for both of us to end up on the same battlefield working together; over the very planet that's haunted you your _whole life_. Hell, it sure wasn't my decision either, yet here we are."

Fox finally spotted the 'V' shaped fighter called the Wolfen alongside the Rainbow Delta, a modified Wolfen, rounding up a group of Aparoids and Anglars. The Wolfen had thin, pointed, tapered-straight wings located towards the rear half of the aircraft. The Rainbow Delta had swept-back wings and two horizontal stabilizers. All Wolfen fighters had a red and gray coloration.

Within the hoard the two starfighters were pursuing, Fox spotted a couple of Androssian fighters no different than the one he had seen earlier. _The Cornerian!_

Fox's eyes scanned the area around his Arwing and located the Cornerian pilot that was being chased by the Dragon just up ahead and to the left. The pilot had lost the Aparoid but was still running from the Androssian. Fox sped up and fired multiple laser blasts right through the center of the hostile fighter then zoomed overhead the leftover scrap. He turned his Arwing around and made eye contact with the Cornerian pilot, who gave Fox a thumbs-up from his cockpit. Fox then tried to relocate Wolf and Leon's fighters.

With no luck of spotting either the Wolfen or Rainbow Delta, Fox found someone else instead. Another Arwing whipped right over head of his; in that split second, time seemed to slow as he spotted the pilot. _Krystal..._

She looked exactly as she had when she was a member of Star Fox, though she had modified her catsuit. The nylon leather's color had been dyed to a light purple; the sleeves had been removed and she wore white, elbow length, fingerless cabretta leather gloves in their place that met at her middle finger; her boots were now pure white like her gloves; and she had also refitted the suit with pink leather armor and silver shoulder armor; in lieu of the lighter blue. Additionally, she now wore a silver banded necklace with a sapphire crystal at its center, completely identical to the silver forehead band she still wore.

Fox wasn't sure if Krystal had noticed him; her eyes were locked on her target. She was headed straight for the Convoy's main battle ship that had attracted a swarm of the Aparoid moths that landed on the cruiser and began ripping into it with their legs and blasters. Krystal slowed her speed as she began picking the mechanical insects off the Cornerian cruiser with her twin laser cannons. Within seconds, she had destroyed every Aparoid without the cruiser taking a single shot.

 _She's gotten better..._ Fox thought to himself shamefully.

Fox heard Wolf's voice again. "Better duck Fox, gotta stampede coming your way."

Fox turned his attention from Krystal back to the matter at hand to see the group of fighters Wolf and Leon had been rounding up heading straight for him. Fox pulled up on his controls and bolted straight up, getting out of the way just in time. He continued flying vertically until he was more than four hundred meters above the group, then he flipped around and dove straight towards them.

"I'd start backing off, _Wolf_." Fox said as he locked onto an Aparoid in the center of the herd, instructing his cannon to arm itself with its first of two Nova bombs; the duel cannon carried the second. He waited only a moment while the Wolfen and Rainbow Delta slowed, then launched a Nova bomb and retreated to a safe distance just before it went off, decimating the whole squad.

"That works; though I was _enjoying_ the sight of them running scared." Wolf said.

Leon joined in. " _Yeah_ , it was like shooting Burra in a barrel."

Fox smirked. "Sometimes, it's best to just drop some dynamite in the water."

Falco's voice came over the headset, sounding irritated. "Hey, are you guys gonna help us clear this perimeter, or are Lucy and I gonna do this by ourselves?!"

"You still got that parakeet flying around with you?" Leon snickered.

" _What_ did you just call me?!" Falco was even angrier now.

Fox intervened before things could escalate. "Alright, let's keep a grip on ourselves. I'm coming over Falco. Wolf, Leon; care to help us out with that perimeter?"

"Fox, we're gonna show you how it's done." Wolf said as he and Leon took off towards the convoy. Fox shook his head then did the same.

They weren't far off from the convoy's battle cruiser. When they reached it they found that Falco and Lucy had already taken out a large majority of the opposition. Fox also noticed that most of the Cornerian fighters had rallied up and joined the cause. He jumped in and began to chase down the remaining fighters in the area. He spotted Krystal doing the same thing about one hundred meters below him. He desperately wanted to radio to her, say something to strike up a conversation. _What the hell am I gonna say?_ He knew she had yet to forgive him for deserting her, but he couldn't help himself. _I can't just fly around pretending you're not here..._

Fox noticed a Androssian fighter had got on her tail and decided to help her out; see if she would notice him instead. He flew towards the Androssian and hammered laser blasts into its vessel until it exploded, then placed himself alongside Krystal's fighter, the Cloud Runner: an Arwing that Krystal had Slippy design to look like a pterodactyl; a flying dinosaur species known as Cloud Runners. The Cloud Runner was just as deadly as Fox's Arwing; equipped with twin laser canons with single lock capabilities, endurant shield generators, and agile speed.

Krystal noticed the explosion behind her and looked over to see Fox flying by her side.

Fox offered her a warm smile, but her expression turned frosty as she pulled her fighter away from his and started chasing down a couple Anglars.

 _Well, there's your answer..._ He thought, his heart aching with desolation.

"Alright Fox, perimeter secure; we're ready to push out!" Lucy announced, her voice full of excitement and adrenaline.

The excitement and adrenaline in her voice only worsened Fox's torment. _Why is she still here Fox?_ He pushed his pain away for the moment, reminding himself that he still had a mission to complete. "Okay then, let's send em runnin." He replied as he faced his fighter away from the convoy and towards the ring of chaos that still surrounded all of them. "Slippy, Amanda, is our escape route still clear?"

"Didn't even have to try!" Amanda gleefully hollered.

"Thanks to the extra weaponry R.O.B. and I installed on the Great Fox II!" Slippy cheerfully exclaimed.

With that, they all flew straight into different parts of the ring, shattering the enemy force into several small, more manageable groups. Fox's mind was still pondering his question; though this time he made sure to not lose himself so much to thought that he wasn't paying attention. Krystal's position on Star Fox wasn't any different than Lucy's, and yet he had allowed Lucy to remain on the team.

It wasn't because he didn't feel responsibility for Lucy; being that she was Peppy's daughter, Fox felt all the more responsible for her; he had just decided it was best to let her make her own choices in what she wanted to do with her life. _Why couldn't I have made that same choice with Krystal? Did my love for her harden me so much that I wouldn't let her choose for herself?_

 _Well, you got what you deserve Fox, because there she is; flying with Star Wolf in the same amount of, if not more danger than she was in before._ Fox cringed, squeezing his Arwing's control stick as if to crush it in his hands _. Not only did you lose her to that, but you also lost her to Panther… Panther!_ It was then that it hit Fox. _Where is Panther?!_ He did a quick glance all around the area but couldn't find him. _He's probably on the other side of the convoy._ He concluded with a sinking feeling.

Both teams kept pushing through, dodging scrap and bullets, then returning fire and taking down their adversaries. Falco had target lock on an Anglar and was about to shoot, when Leon swooped in and obliterated it with a charged blast before Falco could pull the trigger.

" _Hey_!" Falco exclaimed, "Just what do ya think you were doin'?! That was my kill!"

"The early bird gets the worm." Leon flew his Rainbow Delta directly above Falco's Sky Claw, openly displaying a conceited smirk. "Looks like you're going hungry."

"You calling me slow?! You're a freakin' _Chameleon_!"

"Aw yes, but we move quietly and unseen; and we have a fast tongue to take down our prey. For the Rainbow Delta, a blaster does just as good." Leon had a taunting calmness in his voice, riling Falco up even more."

"Why you little piece of dried out-"

"Careful with your temper bird. I may have been paid to _help out_ the Star Fox team and not cause them trouble, but I am more than willing to defend myself if necessary." Leon's voice turned sinister. "It doesn't take much to convince me that something is... _necessary_."

Fox could tell Falco was about to unleash all hell on the lizard. Fox turned his Arwing around and darted in front of Falco just in time to cut him off from taking a shot at Leon.

"I've had enough of this!" Fox yelled into his headset. "We're here to save lives, not put them in more turmoil by fighting amongst ourselves. Now pull yourselves together, and let's finish this!" Falco and Leon both fell silent and continued the mission.

They all continued the fight until they finally had thinned out the attackers enough that they began to retreat. Aparoids, Anglars, and Androssians alike all turned and high tailed it back to the planet they had mysteriously came from; with Star Fox, Star Wolf, and the remaining Cornerians right on their tail. The Star teams and Cornerians chased the forces into Venom until deemed unsafe to get any closer to the planet; proceeding to turn around and head back to the convoy. Finally, all was quiet and the chaos was over.

The Cornerians gathered around the convoy's main battle cruiser and began landing all the damaged fighters in its hangars for repair while the rest took up their spots around the cruiser to provide security on the way back to Corneria.

Fox contacted the cruiser to make sure everything was alright.

A young dog answered the transmission. "Yes sir, we're fine; can't say it would've been the same if you hadn't showed up though."

"We're happy to help." Fox replied with a smile. "You guys have a safe trip back to Corneria."

"Roger that sir. I just have one question before I go."

Fox's curiosity was raised. "Go ahead?"

"I thought Venom was done for, that all life on that planet was finished. Sure, they would always send us out for security measures, but all the previous times we came up with nothing: radar, thermal, imagery, all quiet. Sir… you've always been open about your assessments of the planet… where in _Lylat's name_ did they come from?"

The question had completely knocked Fox off guard. It was the first time in years since a Cornerian soldier had honestly sook guidance from him. "I don't know..." Fox said in a grave tone. "But I'm sure once Corneria's government processes all this, they will take major steps to find out."

"I've always seen your views as plausible, but with all due respect, I still hope you're wrong; I was quite enjoying our years of peace."

 _There it is._ Fox grunted in amusement. "Wish I could say I know the _peace_ you speak of. Get back to Corneria, it shouldn't be long until your intended reinforcements show up to take over."

"Actually sir, my scanners are showing they're still ten minutes out. They said that they ran into another group of the same enemies that were waiting for them near one of the planets they had to pass by to get here. The force was much smaller, they said it was more like a distraction, something to slow them down and keep them from getting to us in time; makes me even more thankful that you all arrived when you did."

Now Fox was convinced there was something more to this than a mere suicidal attack. _This was planned out, someone had thought this through; but why? All they would have been able to do was take out one convoy, how could that have helped their cause? All it would do is draw more Cornerian forces to planet Venom, forces that would do continual research and exploit any events that were covertly going on under the planet's foggy surface._ Fox shuddered as he remembered his thought of a larger army still hiding on the surface, ready to attack at any time, but he quickly brushed it off. "Either way, you guys have taken enough damage. Get back to Corneria, we'll stay here until they show up. Wolf, would you and your team mind keeping us company a little longer?"

"Sorry Fox, but we did what we got paid to do; no more, no less. Star Wolf is clearing out."

"I figured as much." Fox muttered a curse to the lazy mercenary team. "Well, until we meet again."

"Pray that we don't, because next time we may not be under friendly terms."

Fox spotted Krystal's fighter flying off into the vastness of space, most likely headed towards wherever Star Wolf planned to rally up. _I dread the day that happens…_

Wolf spoke again, this time with an ominous tone. "Now, before I go Fox, I promised someone that I would let him talk to you, pilot to pilot; which means your team won't be interfering."

"Fox, look out!" Lucy yelled into her head set. Fox looked down at his scanners to see an incoming blast headed straight for him from below. He instantly rolled his fighter to the left dodging the electric blast and the modified Wolfen that followed it; Fox immediately recognized its design. It was a triangular fighter with reverse-delta wings, a rear-centered vertical stabilizer, and a built-in zapper cannon: a slow but powerful electric beam producer that could vaporize nearly any aircraft. It was when Fox saw the red rose painted on the right side of the fighter's cockpit that his deduction was confirmed; It was the Black Rose, with none other than Panther Caruso at its reins.

"Hello McCloud," Panther began with his soft, yet baleful purr. "You don't know how long Panther has been waiting to have this meeting with you."

"What's the meaning of this Panther?! What did I ever do to ruffle your fur?!" Fox exclaimed.

"Oh, it's not my fur you ruffled, you've upset my rose; and you know that all my enemies who upset my rose, let alone _see_ her, meet _death_." Panther swooped around and took another shot at Fox, who bolted forward, clearing the way of the blast.

"This is ridiculous! Wolf, call your boy off!"

"Sorry Fox, we came and did what we were paid to do; now all bets are off. You'll just have to talk it over, _pilot_ to _pilot_."

Fox gritted his teeth in frustration as he kept his Arwing in motion in order to avoid getting disintegrated. _I_ _knew_ _it was a bad idea to call you all in!_ "You're only bringing a storm down upon your head Wolf! The Cornerian reinforcements are on their way, and whether or not you've fulfilled your _contract_ , they aren't going to take kindly to you attacking one of their allies."

"According to the dog you spoke with on the Cornerian cruiser, Panther has ten minutes to have it out with you. From what I've seen of him when he works, that's _plenty_ of time."

Falco began to dart towards the Black Rose. "Here's problem number two with your plan, you mangy _coyote_ , Star Fox isn't just going to stand by while you allow your _pussy_ to attack our leader." A heavily charged laser blast interrupted Falco's flight path.

Leon was next to cross his path. "Oh contraire, you feathered _rodent_ ; that's _exactly_ what you're going to do."

That was enough to set Falco off again. "Alright you cold blooded _dust eater_! Let's see how well you use your 'tongue' when a _falcon_ is hunting you down!" He whipped around and began to chase Leon, but before he could fire, the Rainbow Delta vanished before his eyes. "What the? Where the hell did you go?!"

"There's one more thing that makes me all the more superior to you _bird_. Not only are we chameleons stealthy movers, but we also have the ability to blend-in with our surroundings; for the Rainbow Delta, a cloaking device. You will also notice I have vanished from your radar, making me completely invisible to both you and your fighter. You are not the hunter anymore, falcon; _I am_."

….

Lucy, Amanda, and Slippy watched in shock as Panther came out of nowhere and attacked Fox, and Falco chased Leon off in the distance.

Lucy broke the silence. "We need to help them."

"Then let's get in there! We're not doing any good sitting here with our jaws open!" Slippy said.

"You said it sugar!" Amanda added. The three pilots began to head toward the skirmishes, but went right back to a halt when Wolf zoomed in and placed himself in their path.

"I don't think so. You see, I told Fox he would have to talk it out just him and Panther; and I meant it."

"Go chase your tail Wolf!" Lucy replied, "It's all you're good for if you think that you can keep all three of us from aiding our friend!"

"You're right; I do seem a little outnumbered, don't I?" Wolf instantly rotated his fighter towards Slippy's and hammered dual laser blasts into his right wing, bursting through the shield and tearing the wing to shreds. Slippy shrieked as he fought to maintain control of his Arwing; now that its balance was in turmoil. "There, now I only have two pilots to deal with."

"Slippy!" Amanda exclaimed. She looked back at Wolf, staring him dead in his red iris'. "You're going to wish you had never even got in our way!"

"Control your temper _female_ , and head my warning. I only damaged Slippy's fighter enough to keep him from interfering; he can still make it back to your cargo ship. As for you and your girlfriend, here's what I would suggest. If you look over to your left, you will see that Falco has lost sight of Leon; this is due to a cloaking device that he had installed on his wolfen. Any second now he will reappear and blow that bird to bits. Now, Fox is your leader who is in a _completely_ fair firefight with Panther. You also know Fox to have a much better judgment than Falco, most of the time. I would strongly advise you choose to help the one who is truly in need, instead of your leader who can hold his own."

Amanda and Lucy looked at each other, then Amanda looked back over at Slippy. "Can you make it back hun?"

"Th-There's a reason I-I built myself a strong-ger shield gener-rator! D-don't worry a-about me babe! You j-just help out the others; I'll b-be f-fine!"

Amanda fretfully looked at her husband. "Be safe…"

"Tick tock." Wolf remarked nonchalantly. "There's Leon now."

Lucy and Amanda watched as the Rainbow Delta began to reappear right behind Falco's fighter.

"Oh, and don't even think about splitting up and helping both." Wolf added, displaying a grin. "I'll be taking care of whoever tries to head toward _Star Fox_ over there."

The two girls looked at each other. This time Amanda broke the silence. "Alright, let's go save us some falcon tail feathers."

….

Fox maneuvered through the leftover scrap from the battle he had just come out of, dodging blasts from the fighter above him in a battle he just entered. "Funny thing about the little rose painting on your Wolfen, _Panther_! I've seen it many times, yet here I am still flying!"

"I'm afraid you misunderstand the meaning of Panther's phrase, Fox. Panther no longer refers to the painting on his right. My rose is much more valuable to me; without her, I am incomplete. I was truly blessed the day she came into my life." Panther sighed and began to speak in a soft purr as he thought of his rose. "I had never seen anything so beautiful and so majestic. She was so graceful, so talented, and very strong hearted." Panther's voice turned back to a growl. "She would never accept defeat, she would always fight for what she wanted; do you know what that was Fox?"

Fox knew very well what it was, as well as who Panther considered his rose, and it tormented him to hear it.

Panther continued, "It was family, someone that she could rely on and trust when she was in need; much like you. She had always hoped that _you_ would be her family, that _you_ could be there for her by understanding what she was going through; but there was one thing stopping _you_ wasn't there? Selfishness."

Fox's pain only increased, and began to fuel his rage.

Panther smiled at Fox's silence. "Yes…" He purred, eerily. " _Selfishness_. You were afraid to lose her and in your fear, in order to feel better about yourself, you withheld her one wish from her. You left her all alone, with no strength to fall back on; but worry not Fox, she is safe. For in her moment of darkness, a light shined bright. She was hesitant at first, but she chose to reach out and grasp it. From that moment on, she felt safe again. She had strength to rely on once more. Star Wolf was that light; we are her family now; she depends on us for strength,-" Panther paused, savoring the moment and taking pleasure in what he was about to say next. "-and she turns to me for comfort, love, and _pleasure_."

Fox's nerves burned hot at that last word.

"She will never turn to Star Fox again; she will never turn to _you_ again."

Fox had heard everything he could stand. He let out a loud cry of anger as he flipped his fighter around and headed straight for Panther, sending a swarm of lasers toward of him. Panther maneuvered through the fusillade and zoomed right over Fox's head. Both fighters flew out a good distance before turning to face each other again.

"Your Arwing's firepower is impressive," Panther said with an amused growl, "but it will not help you. You know as well as I that a weapon doesn't win the battle, but the one who wields it. Come, let us duel and find out who is the superior aviator. Face my rose's death sentence, McCloud. Can you overcome it?"

Fox tightened his grip on the Arwing's controls. "We're about to find out!"

…

Falco frantically searched the area looking for Leon's fighter. "Show yourself, you little green _coward_!"

Leon's voice came over the headset. "This is not cowardice, falcon. This is superiority."

"Why don't you come on out and show me just how _superior_ you are!"

"All in good time, I warned you that we chameleons are slow and steady movers. Patience is key when we are on the hunt. But after a long wait, our chance is upon us." The coms grew eerily quiet, then Leon continued. "Believe me when I tell you, we _take it_!"

Amanda's voice burst over the coms. "Watch it Falco, he's right behind you!"

Falco looked in his rear-view camera panel to see the Rainbow Delta slowly re-appearing behind him, with its laser charged and ready to fire. He jerked his fighter to the right just in time to avoid the blast.

Leon cursed under his breath, but retained his composure. "Your friends have saved you for the moment falcon, but numbers won't gain you victory." With that his fighter vanished again.

"Thanks for the warning." Falco said to Amanda and Lucy as they flew up and started circling the area.

"Happy to assist, but we still have the issue that we don't know where he is." Lucy said.

"There has to be some way to spot him." Amanda said.

Leon's voice re-appeared. "There are none. Even if you do come up with a way, I can hear everything you're saying over the com line." He snickered.

Falco smiled. "Well, we'll just have to fix that little problem, won't we? Lucy, Amanda, block his access." The three pilots utilized either their headset HUDs or their onboard command screens to block the reptile from listening to their chatter. "Now that our little eaves dropper can't hear us, I have a plan."

Lucy butted in. "Does that plan involve dodging the Nova bomb _headed straight for you_?!"

Falco looked up to see the large red and white diamond shaped object descending upon him. He slammed down on his controls in an attempt to outrun it, but he didn't clear the blast radius in time. The bomb went off, sending Falco's Sky Claw spiraling into the distance; with Falco blacked out in the cockpit.

…..

Fox and Panther set their thrusters to full throttle and headed straight for each other. Fox commenced shooting away at Panther, who performed the same maneuvers as before to dodge the hellfire. They passed by each other once again, both fighters unscathed.

"That's strike two, Fox; surely you have more to you than that. Don't let your anger cloud your judgment; that's exactly how you lose the match, McCloud."

"Just give me one more pass and I'll show you how clouded my judgment is!"

Panther smiled. "Come, face the sentence of Panther's rose once more."

Fox flipped around and prepared to make another run, but stopped when he heard Krystal's voice come over the com line. " _Panther_! Stop this madness _right now_!"

Fox shivered at the sound of her words. Even when shouting, her voice was angelic.

Both pilots looked over to see the Cloud Runner hovering about four hundred meters away from where they were having their skirmish.

" _My rose_ …" Panther responded, sounding like a youngling caught with his hand in a cookie jar. "You were supposed to fly back to the rally point…"

"I was, but after I had flown a good distance with nobody following me, I assumed something was wrong and turned around."

"Forgive me, my rose. Whenever we are together you spin tales of how much pain this fox had caused you, all the suffering you experienced on his behalf. Panther is merely here to repay him for bringing his rose strife."

Fox slowly dropped his gaze to the floor of his fighter at hearing of Krystal's continued affliction after he left her.

"That never meant I wanted him _dead,_ _Panther_!" Krystal scolded. "I only needed to share my pain in my times of sadness to help my heart _heal_!" She paused, calming herself before continuing. "Leave him, come with me; you've proven enough to me."

"This isn't about proving anything, my rose. This is about bringing justice to the one who attacked your heart. His sentence has been passed, he must pay for his crimes."

Wolf cruised in and launched a tow cable at the Cloud Runner, which landed and attached to its rear, then Wolf began to pull her away.

Krystal instantly began to fight the Wolfen's pull by flying in the opposite direction. "Wolf! _What are you doing_?!" She exclaimed.

"Let the males talk Krystal, this is no place for a lady." Wolf said as he increased the power in his thrusters to counteract the fight Krystal was putting up, with little success.

Panther spoke up. "Don't fight him, my rose. Panther knows you wish no harm upon this fox, but it must be done. One day you will see the light and when you do, you will thank me for my deed."

"Panther no! _Please_ don't do this!" She pleaded, continuing to fight Wolf's pull.

"Come on Krystal, it's time to go." Wolf said as he reached down and pressed a button on his control panel that sent an EMP wave through the tow cable, powering down her fighter. He then took off with her trailing behind; unable to offer further protest.

"Good-bye my rose." Panther muttered softly. He then turned his attention back to Fox McCloud, who looked devastated after hearing all that Krystal and Panther had said. Panther put on a triumphant smile. "Now McCloud, it is time for our final joust. Prepare yourself, for only _one_ of us will emerge victorious."

Fox didn't even glance up at Panther; he already felt entirely dead. The memory of the night he had abandoned Krystal was racing through his head; how she trembled and how her tears fell _._ He looked up at the Black Rose that was hovering about seven hundred meters ahead of him. _Alright Panther._ Fox charged up his thrusters and took off towards the Black Rose. _Let's see who fate favors._

Krystal's voice stopped Fox's thoughts dead. _Fox, please don't do this! I don't want you dead! Your team needs you!_

"Krystal...?" Fox managed to whisper through the shock of hearing her voice in his head. His vision quickly cleared from the blur of his emotions and focused on a large red and white object coming straight at him. _Nova bomb!_ Before Fox could react, the bomb went off and blasted him back a good distance. Fox felt as if he had just slammed into a brick wall. His head spun as he tried to regain full consciousness and grasp his situation. He was thankful the bomb went off at the distance it did; any closer and he might have been no more. _You're still in this, why?_ Fox asked himself. _What are you fighting for?_ He thought of Krystal's words. _Your team..._

A new determination emerged inside of him. _You can't abandon them, you won't! Not even for your debt to Krystal..._ Fox winced at the thought. After everything he had put her through, tossing his guilt aside was no easy task, but he would do it; for Star Fox; for his family. When his fighter slowed to a stop, he fought his dazed state trying to find Panther; who he spotted heading straight for him from above.

"You have lost, McCloud. Now for my rose's sake, you will _meet death_!"

Fox tried to move his Arwing out of the way of his oncoming doom, but it didn't budge. The blast from the bomb had depleted his shields and knocked the fighter's power out cold. Fox realized it was over, his luck had finally run out. He closed his eyes and prepared to meet his judgement, when he heard Wolf shout over the comm link.

"Panther, _look out_! We're headed straight for you!"

Fox looked back up and saw Panther fire an electric blast straight at him, but it never made contact. Another spacecraft had flown between him and the shot, taking the impact. Fox watched in horror as he realized the fighter that saved him was Krystal's.

Wolf's fighter was broken from hers by the blast, and as she cleared the way of Panther's flight path, Wolf was helpless toward flying right into it. Unable to evade in time, Panther slammed into the front end of the Wolfen; sending both the Black Rose and the Wolfen hurtling into the distance.

Fox immediately looked towards Krystal's fighter to assess her status. Her shields had sustained most of the damage from the blast, but the Cloud Runner's rear right corner engine exhaust looked as if something had taken a bite out of them; due to the disintegration factor of Panther's zapper cannon. Her Cloud Runner drifted lifelessly through space, rotating around to where Fox could see Krystal in the cockpit. He directed his HUD to zoom in on her for a closer view. The shot had knocked her unconscious, but besides a little bruising she appeared to be intact. Fox let out a sigh of relief, but terror immediately filled him again; in his skirmish with Panther, Fox had failed to take note of one thing: they were only about a thousand meters above Venom's atmosphere, and Krystal was drifting straight towards it.

….

Falco came out of his unconscious state with a small headache as a souvenir. He first heard Amanda's voice over the headset.

"Did you see where the bomb came from?!"

"Tracking and chasing, follow my lead!" Lucy responded.

Falco looked towards his last position to see Lucy and Amanda chasing nothing. They were merely zipping around and shooting into empty space. _They got a lock._ Falco thought to himself, a smile creeping onto is face. "We have you now" _._

He looked down at his controls and began to assess the damage done to his fighter. The shields were gone, the body had received some damage, but nothing seemed to be severely out of order. The Sky Claw would still fly. _Slippy will never let me live down losing my shields though…_ Falco thought with a low grunt. He grabbed the controls and flew back towards the action. On his way over he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He looked towards the distraction, and what he saw nearly made his heart stop. "Oh hell no." He whispered.

…..

Fox instantly went into action, pushing the Arwing's thruster lever forward in order to reach Krystal before she got any closer to Venom's atmosphere. When the fighter didn't budge, he remembered that the blast from Panther's Nova bomb had powered it down. He desperately searched for the ignition and attempted to start it back up. The fighter chugged a little, but then fell silent. Fox cursed under his breath. "Come on, _come on_." After repeating the process a few more times, he looked back up towards Krystal. She was picking up speed as the distance closed between her and Venom, and gravity began to take effect. Fox looked back at his Arwing's ignition and continued his attempts. " _Come on! Come ON_!" Out of his peripheral vision, Fox noticed a sudden amount of activity. He looked back up towards the movement and froze.

Emerging from the mist covering Venom's surface came another wave of enemy fighters, much larger in number than the previous group, headed straight towards Krystal and himself.

"No... no, no, _no,_ _NO_!" Fox hit his ignition one more time, and finally had success as his control panel lit up and the fighter's engines roared to life. He turned his Arwing towards Krystal's and sent his thrusters to full blast, racing the swarm to get to her. Fox watched as an incoming Anglar fighter aimed its blasters toward him, but he stopped its intentions by firing first; blowing the Anglar to bits. His shots only gained the attention of three other fighters that converged on his Arwing instantly, letting their laser cannon's loose on him. Against his instincts, Fox had to flip around in order to avoid the blasts; leaving Krystal to continue drifting into Venom's atmosphere.

He sped ahead of the group, putting distance between him and them; flying to a higher elevation before he flipped around again and headed straight towards them from above. He looked past all the fighters to see Krystal's Cloud Runner now free falling into Venom's clutches as gravity took complete effect on the fighter and left all weightlessness behind. _Oh, no you don't!_ Fox increased his Arwing's speed and flew right into the storm of enemies, dodging lasers from what felt like every direction. _Why did you have to risk your life to save mine Krystal, WHY?! Panther was right… All I've ever done is cause you pain and suffering… You could've let me be done away with right then and there; never having to worry about me again… Justice would've been done! I would've gotten what I deserved!_

Lucy's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Fox! Do you have a _death wish_?! Get out of there! You're going to get yourself _killed_!"

"I should already _be_ _dead_!" He replied.

"What are you talking about?!"

"Panther had me! He was about to take my life when... when _she_ swooped in..."

"…Krystal?!"

" _Yes_! She put herself between Panther and I and took the blast for me! Now she's drifting into Venom's atmosphere and I'm going to lose her any second! I won't let her die for my sake! It's my life that should be gone right now, _not her's_!"

Fox finally made it through the army of fighters, only to watch Krystal's Cloud Runner disappear into Venom's dense blanket of fog. The planet had taken her.

" _NO_!" Fox cried as he dove in after her without hesitation. The vapors of Venom engulfed his fighter as he began his descent, taking his visual contact with Krystal and all other fields of view; yet Fox didn't slow for a second. Instinct had consumed all rational thought; fear and anger pulsed through his veins and drove him beyond his senses. He had forgotten his team up above, forgotten the second wave of fighters, forgotten the very nature of the planet he was diving into; only one thing was set in Fox's mind. _I've taken your family, your security, your strength, and your happiness; YOU WILL NOT DIE FOR ME!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Lucy and Amanda both slowed their fighters when their eyes fell upon the coming armada.

"Oh hell no." They heard Falco murmur over the comm line.

The two girls looked at each other and then back at the swarm; all three Star Fox pilots fell speechless.

Finally, Falco broke the silence. "Reinforcements are still four minutes out." He stated flatly.

"We're gonna have to fall back to the Great Fox II if we have _any_ hope of surviving this." Amanda stated, manipulating her comms to contact the Great Fox. "Slippy, you there sugar?! Please tell me you made it back alright..."

The high pitched, out of breath reply brought relief to the trio. "Yeah… by the… skin on my… bones! But I'm… alright. I'm heading up to… the bridge now. How are things… going?"

Falco butted in, urgency now poured from his beak. "Not hot Slip', turns out Venom wasn't done serving us ugly bastards! We're bookin' it back to the Great Fox ourselves; we're gonna need some serious firepower if we hope to survive the next four minutes."

"I'll see what I… can do, but with all… that we used during the first… skirmish, it's gonna be tight!"

"It'll have to do... we got no other choice." With that Falco whirled his fighter around and shot out towards the team's mother ship.

Amanda left next and Lucy was about to follow, when she suddenly realized something was missing. _Fox!_

She searched every sector of her field of view, checking each vessel coming her way, trying to pick out any familiar characteristics of his Arwing. She didn't have to look long, for when she saw it the Arwing was flying ahead of the group; headed straight towards her. Lucy allowed her tense muscles to relax, but they seized right back up as she watched Fox's Arwing turn around, fly above and straight back into the hoard. She immediately honed her radio frequency to contact him.

"Fox! Do you have a _death wish_?! Get out of there! You're going to get yourself _killed_!"

"I should already _be dead_!" He yelled back.

Lucy was taken back. She remembered his engagement with Panther. _Had he lost?_ "What are you talking about?!"

"Panther had me! He was about to take my life when... when _she_ swooped in..."

 _She..._ "Krystal?!"

" _Yes_! She put herself between Panther and I and took the blast for me! Now she's drifting into Venom's atmosphere and I'm going to lose her any second! I won't let her die for my sake! It's my life that should be gone right now, _not her's!_ "

Lucy didn't even realize that she lost sight of Fox as panic set in. She knew he had to save Krystal, but she also didn't want to see anything happen to him. She had grown so accustomed to having him as a captain. With the loss of her mother and the frequent absence of her father, due to his recent promotion, Fox was the closest thing to family she had; family that understood what it was like losing others you loved. She was fortunate enough to still have her father, but he was always so occupied with his business as General of the Cornerian Army that he hardly had time for her anymore. Fox had taken her in and taught her the skills she would need to succeed in this life; comforted her in times of grief; protected her in times of danger.

A loud cry from Fox brought her out of her zoned state. " _NO_!" He exclaimed.

Lucy's heart started racing as she anxiously searched for his Arwing again. "Fox? _Fox_!? Can you hear me?! What's going on?!" No answer, Lucy's heart-rate increased as she couldn't spot him. " _Fox_! Come in Fox! _Do you copy_?!" Still silence. _Don't die on me Fox. Please... don't leave..._

Falco's voice replaced Fox's. "Lucy, you wanna get your pretty little cotton tail outta there? You got about fifteen seconds before those fighters are in blastin' range of you!"

Lucy cleared her mind and tuned back into her current situation to find truth in Falco's words. She spun her fighter towards the Great Fox II and set her thrusters to full blast in order to have any chance of staying ahead of the coming storm. _Hell Fox, I might just be dying with you..._

… _..._

Fox aggressively loosened his dual shoulder and lap belt restraints, then sat forward and visually scanned beyond his cockpit windshield in every direction he could, thirsting to spot her, yet his eyes met nothing but a vast, dense, murky red haze. Fear began to overrule his anger as he noticed that the radar screen on his HUD showed no sign of her Cloud Runner.

Steadily, the fog began to clear as Fox approached Venom's surface; giving sight to Krystal's fighter about fifty kilometers below and forward of him. Fox's heart leapt as he went to increase his speed to catch up to her, but the Cloud Runner reached Venom's surface and crashed into a rock formation on a mountain. The fighter disintegrated into the jagged surface as its burning fuel, oil, and shredded scrap dispersed along each crevice; a fate Krystal's flesh shared with her fighter.

Fox fell still in his cockpit _. '… … … … … '_ His mind tried to fight what he'd just witnessed, replaying it over and over in hopes that he'd missed something or been hallucinating. _…No… no, you can't... that can't be it!_ Fox started frantically searching the atmosphere around him, praying that Krystal had ejected herself before the crash; but the murky red sky was empty. Fox instantly proceeded to pull what information his HUD had managed to collect on the Cloud Runner before its crash, finding that the cockpit had been confirmed as sealed; indicating that she had still been inside.

Fox's entire body sedately began trembling as he realized there would be no rescuing her. There would be no physical body to cling to and weep over, no chance to feel the last traces of her warmth before it left her, no final glance at her beautiful face; only memories remained. Through all of this, one regret lay at the heart of everything; tearing into him worse than anything comprehensible. Three unspoken words had haunted him during Krystal's life, and only tormented him harder after her death.

 _Just a dream!_ A familiar male voice suddenly filled Fox's head, followed by a sudden beeping from the Arwing's control panel. Fox looked at the source of the noise and realized he had five seconds before he flew straight into Venom's surface.

Fox felt no urge to react, he wanted to die.

 _JUST A DREAM!_

Again, he recognized the voice. In the second before the last, hoping the words were true, Fox's instincts kicked back in as he grabbed his Arwing's control stick and yanked it rearward with a force he had used only a few times in his life. The fighter pulled up just enough to avoid a nose dive into the rocky terrain, however nothing could be done to escape the bottom of the Arwing smashing into the ground and grinding away as it began to slow to friction.

Fox shut his eyes and gritted his teeth as he waited for it to end. He felt the fighter ram into something large, yet instead of bursting through the obstacle, the Arwing gave, flipped over into the air, and landed belly up; continuing to slide along the surface. Fox was losing consciousness due to being thrown back and forth into the walls of his cockpit windshield in the process. He opened his eyes, fighting his blurred vision as he assessed his situation. Fox looked toward the ground and noticed something strange. It wasn't rock he was tearing through anymore, it was steel pavement.

Before Fox could think any further, his head was thrown into his forward view window as the Arwing smashed through a wall and came to an abrupt halt. The last thing he saw as his eyes rolled up into his head was the slow and constant flashing of the lights in his HUD and the Arwing's control panel, the road he had rocketed down, and large pieces of rubble falling from above and breaking into the ground and upon his fighter; then all went dark.

"Think of it Mr. McCloud."

 _Present Time_

" _Green_."

Krystal's tormented wail suddenly flooded Fox's head. Pulled from anger and thrown into panic, he looked in every direction trying to find any sign pointing to her location; his mind picturing all the horrors she could be undergoing. _Krystal! I can't… where… where are you?!_ Fox spotted a trail of smoke rising into the air some kilometers into the ghost city, and took off towards it in a dead sprint.

Her cries grew louder and louder until they were all he could hear, tempting him to drop his rifle and clamp his hands over his ears. _Please stop hurting her…_ Fox begged desperately.

Her screams became deafening, his head felt ready to explode. _"LEAVE HER ALONE!_ " He hollered, pushing his pace faster; then he felt a hand grasp his shoulder.

The screaming instantly ceased, and the voice from before the crash took its place. "That isn't her."

Fox's heart stopped as he pulled free of the hand and skidded to a halt. He panted fiercely whilst everything, even the stirred dust around him, seemed to fall still. Fox calmed his lungs with a couple deep breaths, then slowly turned to face the voice he knew too well.

…

"I've gotta get out there and help her!" Amanda said anxiously, "She's not going to make it!"

"You aren't going anywhere!" Slippy yelled, "Lucy's got enough experience to save herself, and I won't have my wife flying into that mess!"

"Besides, not like we have much of a chance surviving ourselves; either." Falco stated coolly.

Amanda's face was turning red from anger. "Falco, _shut up_! Slippy?!"

Slippy's high and mighty tone dropped back down to its pitiful pitch. He'd heard his wife say his name that way many a time before. "Y-yes dear?"

Amanda's voice took up a pleasant and sweet manner. "That's my dear friend Lucy out there. You know I would do anything for you, but I would also do anything for her. Now I'm gonna go and give her a hand and save her life, okay sweetie? I _do_ promise to be careful."

"B-But-!" Slippy rejected.

Amanda cut him off. "Bye baby." She said in a sweet, playful manner, before setting off to save her friend.

"No! Am-manda, get back h-here! I am your husb-band and y-you _will_ obey me!" Slippy got no response. " _P-please_?"

"Face it Slip', it's just you and me now." Falco snickered.

"B-big help! It was your idea to come back to the Great F-Fox! What was your comment about us, _not surviving,_ all ab-bout?!"

"I said it was our only _chance_. I never said it would actually work."

"Oh ya? Well if you're so sure we're gonna die, why don't you just fly away?! Escape while the fleet is distracted with the rest of us!"

"I'm thinkin' about it." Falco replied.

Slippy said nothing, just slammed his head down on the control panel in front of him.

…...

 _Come on Lucy, you're almost there, just another minute..._ Lucy glanced over her shoulder. _Dear Lylat, they're right behind me!_ She watched as a Venomian fighter took the first shot at her. She pushed down on her control wheel to avoid it, just to pull up again; avoiding a second shot. A flurry of laser blasts followed and Lucy spun into an aileron roll that carried her upwards while deflecting the blasts off her fighter. _Please, oh please, don't die! This can't be it!_ Fear quickly turned to embarrassment, bringing Lucy to control of her quivering. _Get a grip!_ _Fox flew straight into this hoard and made it; hopefully… T-There's no reason you can't keep ahead of them for another thirty seconds!_ She continued darting left and right, up and down; throwing in an aileron roll whenever there were too many blasts to dodge.

"Lucy, duck!"

Lucy quickly lowered her fighter and watched a Nova Bomb shoot right over her head and back toward her pursuers. Tracing the trail of the bomb, she found Amanda's fighter to be the source. Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh Amanda! _Thank you_!"

"Don't thank me yet! That hardly slowed them down, we need to _go_!" Amanda drifted her fighter around and took off in the other direction, with Lucy hot on her heels.

Slippy's voice came over their headsets. "Come on girls! You're almost within my firing range, give it all you got!"

The enemy planes were gaining on the two females, who continued to desperately try to escape the fate that each shot from their pursuers contained. In the midst of dashing around, Lucy kept her eyes trained on the team's mothership; they only had ten seconds until they reached it. She sent up a quick prayer of hope. _Please! If anything is up there, if anyone is watching over us; spare us!_

…

Fox stood still with a sinking heart. _I knew it couldn't of..._ His eyes had met nothing upon turning to see what had grabbed him; just the corpse strewn stretch between him and his downed fighter. _But then what grabbed me?!_ Fox scanned the entire area around him, searching for anything that could have been the culprit. _I know something grabbed me! That was no trick!_ His heart began to race with a mix of excitement and fear. _Then, what if that was you?!_ Fox recalled how Krystal's screams had instantly fallen silent with what the voice had told him. _I just hope that doesn't mean she's..._ Fox looked up and out toward where he'd seen the smoke, but it was gone.

His eyes filled with fear. _What if it wasn't him, it could've been a lie to keep me from her..._ Fox clenched his fists around his rifle in kindling fury, then decidedly ran back to his Arwing. His fear was replaced by determination; his anger became his fuel. _I'm gonna find you Krystal; and nothing, not even this planet, will stop me!_

Fox used the left wing of the fighter as a ramp to reach the cockpit. Once there, he pulled out a metal box roughly half the size of himself. He had no idea who or what he would encounter on his journey to Krystal, and he wanted to make sure he was ready _._ Setting the container on the wing, Fox unlatched the lid, opened it, and pulled out a dark-grey tactical vest equipped with three fully-charged laser rifle power cells, two B-Bombs, two flash grenades, three self-sustaining, a condensed flare launcher with two additional flares, a compass, a tactical knife with a fifteen-centimeter fixed blade, a small medical emergency kit, and a hydration pack built into the back of the vest; which he filled using the emergency water tank all space fighters contained.

Fox took a generous drink from the water pouch by attaching the drinking tube to a port built into his filtration mask. Once done, he topped off the pouch, then slipped the entire vest on over his coat and strapped it snug to his body. Fox wiped a buildup of sweat off his forehead, wishing he could take both his jacket and shemagh off. "Can't risk it _._ "He muttered; musty and broiling as the atmosphere was, he wouldn't expose any more of his skin to the noxious air than he had to. Fox made some adjustments to his shemagh; ensuring it still covered his entire neck.

Next Fox made sure his laser pistol and its two extra power cells were securely strapped into the holster on his right-thigh, then grabbed two small bottles of pills from the metal container; the two bottles contained vitamin and protein pills. The state-of-the-art, 'nutrient rich' pills by no means replaced a cooked meal, but the bottles were small and weighed next to nothing; making them easy to carry on one's person. They also gave the body the energy it needed, when it needed it. Fox's stomach suddenly reminded him that it had been hours since he last ate, which had been a small, self-prepared sandwich that he had to scarf down after receiving the distress call from Fitchina.

Fox poured four of the protein and one of the vitamin pills into his palm. _Certainly no Cojayav Club…_ He downed the pills with a swig from his hydration pouch. _but it's something._ Fox thought as he dropped the pill bottles into a medium sized pouch on the back of his vest. Then he closed the equipment box and secured it back behind the seat of the cockpit. Lastly, he shut the cockpit dome and picked up his rifle; giving it a final inspection before heading out.

Fox carried a fully automatic laser rifle, the standard issue of every soldier in the Cornerian Army. Few could match its precision and accuracy, and its power far outdid the weapons of the past; which fired mere brass bullets. It was built with carbon fiber materials, so it was lightweight and could be quickly and easily maneuvered; yet could take a beating on the battlefield and remain fully operational. Thanks to Slippy, who also had a knack for weaponry mechanics, some upgrades and extra attachments gave Fox's blaster an edge that placed it above most of its kin.

Having confirmed the weapon fully operational, Fox hopped back down to the ground and scanned the area for the tallest building in sight; locating one about two kilometers from his position. Fox took one last drink from his hydration pouch, and started off on a steady paced jog into the city. If he could make his way to the top of the destined building, he would have a chance at spotting Krystal's crash site and hopefully, Krystal.

…

Time slowed for Falco as he lit up an Aparoid flying dead ahead of him. Light engulfed his face as he flew through the remaining flame, which was extinguished immediately after by the freezing temperatures of space. He loved the sight of a live battlefield. Ships exploded all around him, lasers, plasma blasts, and rockets seemed to come from every which way; soon to be followed by their initiator. Above all, there was a certain part of it that Falco savored the most: it was utterly silent, soundless chaos.

Space combat was an adrenaline filled dance to him. The graceful flight of the fighters, the maneuvers they would execute, the fire they could send out ahead of them creating a colorful display for the attacker, and a message of defeat to the attacked; all in complete silence. He felt quite at home in it. In a planet's atmosphere, a person could go deaf over all the noise of destruction that conflict always seemed to court. In space, no such atmosphere existed; sound had no method of travel. Falco could hear himself think during combat, could hear the sound and feel the rhythm of his own heart beat as the adrenaline rushed through him; nothing compared to it. _Not even the love of a good female._

He snickered at the thought. Besides his occasional hookups with a planetary waitress or Star Fox female fanatic, his interest in females was next to nothing. Only one girl ever captured his attention enough to long for a relationship with. _Katt Monroe…_

Falco attempted to roll his fighter out of the way of some incoming laser blasts, but the spray was too wide and he was unable to come out unscathed. Another fighter lit up not far from his, casting another shadow of light over Falco's face as he refocused his mind. _The Sky Claw is my baby._ He invariably told himself. _Ain't no girl comin' between her and me..._

Falco turned on his attacker and pursued it through the hushed bedlam. _What the fu- that's a Cornerian!_ He put his eyes in check before scanning it again with his HUD, but there was no mistaking the build; nor the unique markings that represented the force of New Corneria. Lucy came swooping in with an Androssian fighter on her tail, timing it just perfectly to send the two antagonists slamming into each other; creating a fiery pool that Falco blissfully flew through. "Are we all aware we got some _New_ Cornerians on the battlefield? Or have I just added truth to the term _birdbrain_?"

"I was hoping my eyes were just deceiving me…" Lucy replied.

"You and me both girl." Amanda commented, locking on to one of the traitorous soldiers as she spoke. "They aren't just the fighters either, most of them have uniformed dogs in the cockpit."

Falco grunted in irritation. _So, some of those corrupt bastards survived too…_ He then shrugged and focused his attention on the next hostile. _Fine, all the more partners with which to dance. Still, makes me reconsider Fox's superstitions. Hopefully he's still out there… Hopefully we'll be!_ Falco brushed his nerves aside. _Relax guy, just stay focused on the pleasure of the fight. I wonder how exactly Katt would describe the feeling…? Damn it! Stop thinking about Katt!_

Falco's eyes followed Lucy's fighter as she chased down an Aparoid and Androssian, observing her obvious passion for the career. Her talent proceeded her when she had, just moments ago, made it into firing range of the Great Fox II with Amanda at her side. Her speed and determination were nearly unmatched. _Why haven't I ever had any thoughts about Lucy? She's an available woman, can handle and enjoy herself in battle; quite beautiful too. Why am I not attracted to her?_ Falco continued to dance around the battlefield until he came up with a satisfying answer. _Buck teeth._

Still, in the back of his head he knew there was deeper reason; one that he might never find the answer to. _There's just something about Katt._

Slippy reported in to the team. "The Great Fox is running low on ammunition, and she's taking heavy damage!"

"The three of us just aren't enough to keep them all off of you!" Lucy said with concern. "How long until our reinforcements show?!"

A deep, unknown male voice interrupted the conversation. "Never in my life have I seen three mercenary pilots hold their own against this large a wave of fighters." The three Star Fox pilots could clearly hear the amusement dripping from his voice. "I thought for sure you'd be dead by now."

Lucy, Amanda, and Falco all looked over to see two approaching Cornerian battle ships, both at least three times the size of the Great Fox II itself.

"Bout time ya'll got here! Any longer and we might'a _been_ gone!" Amanda scolded.

"Well I'm Admiral Shepherd." The voice replied. "I'm in command of these vessels you see before you, as well as all other forms of reinforcements en-route."

Amanda returned to her threateningly sweet tone. "And how, Admiral, does that help us?"

"Just you watch little lady." Both battleship's cannons turned towards the battle zone. "Oh and, you might want to clear out."

In a flash, laser and plasma beams alike spat out of the Cornerian battle cruisers faster than one could count; igniting their intended targets. The Star Fox team turned tail and darted out of harm's way. The swarm of fighters, Aparoids, Anglars, and Androssians alike, all began to scatter to avoid contact with the incoming rods of light; instantaneously turning on the two new attackers.

If the Star Fox pilots could have seen the Admiral, they would've saw a tall, strapping, middle aged, black and tan patterned Alsatian in a well decorated, military dress uniform; wearing a hungry grin on his face. "Here they come." The Alsatian growled with pleasure.

"Word a warning Admiral," Falco butted in as he circled the far side of the scrambling hoard, "We got more than guerilla fighters in the group; _New_ Cornerian's here too. Ya might wanna hold your boys back and just assist with cannon fire."

The comms were silent for several moments, then Shepherd's voice returned, accompanied with a hungry growl. "Pilots, tell our disreputable _mercs_ what we thought had been _taken_ from our wish list."

An army of voices roared from the comms. " _Kill the traitors_!"

Falco smirked as an internal fire sparked from their spirit.

Shepherd continued, his tone held its sinister pleasure. "We'll mark our own fighters with something that can be picked up by our HUD's and relay it to all of you, but one way or another; _my_ dogs are _coming_."

Falco watched from the outskirts as large hanger doors opened on both battleships and Cornerian fighters flew out to meet the coming storm. Lights continued to flash in both directions as the two masses clashed and the next round began. Falco's smirk grew to a similar grin of hunger as the Alsatian, then flew in to join his allies. Adrenaline numbed Falco's body as he came to a certain realization. _This isn't a battle anymore._ A pleasant shiver ran down his spine. _War has returned to Lylat._

…..

When Fox reached his target building he had no breath left in him; his lungs burned with the want for more air. His filtration mask cleansed the atmosphere's oxygen, but not fast enough to make it plentifully available. He took cover aside the remains of a hover car and worked to slow his breathing; using the time to perform another scan of the area for any signs of trouble. The countless bodies he had stepped over and gone around on his way had only heightened his alertness, ready for any one of them to turn out to be a living hostile. His anxiety had been joined with grief as he passed by all the deceased animals. _Some of these are small enough to be younglings…_

Fox hooked his hydration pack tube back up to his mask for another drink; savoring every moment of the cold, smooth liquid traveling down his throat. His clothes already damp with sweat and blood, Fox was determined to make sure his body continued to receive the fluids it needed. Once satisfied, he secured the tube back on his vest and began looking for an entrance into his destination. Finding nothing, he resumed jogging; heading around the structure until he came across a wide flight of steel stairs leading to a grand, shattered glass panel composed entrance.

Fox slowed his pace and knelt behind a large, rectangular, stucco flower bed placed around seventeen meters south west of the stair case. Fox checked every window and opening he could see for movement. Finding nothing, he removed himself from his cover and cautiously made his approach, staying close to any form of cover in case it became needed.

As he drew closer to the main entrance, Fox turned on his rifle's flashlight to scope out the inside of the building before entering. Upon reaching the doors, he shielded himself behind a large marble pillar on the left side of the entryway. Shining his light through the shattered, warped windows, he swept the entire right side of what used to be a large furnished lobby of some sort, then quickly sidestepped all the way over to the other pillar placed on the right side of the door frames; finishing his sweep of the left side of the lobby. It appeared to be clear, but there were plenty of desks, chairs, couch frames and tables that someone or something could be hiding behind; including a few charred bodies that could disguise a living soldier.

Fox voiced a hushed call into the building, attempting to stir any action, but everything remained still. Time being of the essence, Fox saw no other way than to just go right in. The automatic industrial sliding doors were non-functional due the ghost city's loss of power, so he slipped through the panels in the door; making as little sound as possible to not alert any threats that might be in the surrounding area. Fox slid through successfully and hid behind a conveniently placed couch frame not far from the doors. He waited and listened; no movement. Before continuing, he took out one of his spare flares, lit and threw it in the center of the lobby to light up the room.

The red glow didn't illuminate every crevice, but it made it so Fox could see everything at once; rather than individual areas with his flashlight. Once the lobby was lit up, Fox removed himself from cover and observed his surroundings; taking in what used to be the lobby of a hotel. The front desk was made of polished wood; the tables suggested the same by the sight of their legs, but their tops were covered in rich linen. The tile floors were protected by a glistening sealant, the walls were made of pure pearl, and the furniture was genuine leather. A room like this was once filled with lights, people, and laughter. Conversations of business, travel, events, gossip, and pleasure used to echo throughout; then came the corruption.

Now, the place was dead. The lights had gone out, the voices had disappeared, and all color had faded from the room. The whole scene was like a scorched woodland. Cloths were torn and burned, wood had warped and splintered, and the walls and floors were cracked from fallen debris caused by the heat and impact of The Storm. Even the grand chandelier that once hung from the ceiling had fallen and shattered into the tiled ground. Decorating it all was the corpses of the souls that had been standing in the lobby when The Storm hit; another select few Fox identified as children, bringing him to bow his head. _All it took was the will of a single animal, and the power of a single device._

Fox clenched his rifle tight in his hands, looked up, and launched a forward kick into the couch frame he had been standing behind. His boot traveled straight through the frail, metal bars; causing the couch to further collapse into itself. _You aren't going to take a single, other, soul!_ Grabbing the flare and unsheathing his knife, Fox sliced off the burning end and kicked the extinguishing stub out of sight. He then secured the other end in his vest so not to leave any trace of where he'd been before slowly making his way down one of the hallways in search of an emergency stairwell.

Fox scanned every corner and crevice he came across with his blaster rifle's flashlight for hidden threats, taking time to stop and listen for activity every now and then. He didn't have to search long, for he found the stairs not far from the building's gold door elevators. The stairway door had a small window frame in it that allowed Fox to peer through and see what was on the other side. Not spotting anything, he opened the door, which sounded a slow, eerie creek as it opened; echoing into silence throughout the halls. He paused and listened once more. _Nothing._ He walked inside and glanced upwards. The stairwell was encased in darkness, even the backup lights had been melted before they could activate.

Fox shined his flashlight up towards the top of the skyward tunnel. He was reminded of the building's height when his rifle's flashlight couldn't shine all the way to the ceiling; dust and debris particles floating in the air thickened the darkness even further. However, from what he could tell, the stairs were well intact. _Here goes nothing._

Suddenly, the single alarm of an unlocking hovercraft echoed through the halls; then silence.

Fox's eyes snapped back toward the doorway, taking cover aside the entry and listening for any further sound. Hearing nothing, he raised his rifle to a fire ready position and slowly rotated around his cover to peak into the outside halls. There was no movement, but light now poured through a pair of double sliding doors further down the hall. Tucking the butt of his assault rifle tightly into his shoulder and keeping the barrel at the ready, Fox doused his rifle light, stepped into the passage, and hugged the wall aligned with the doors as he crept toward them.

His approach felt eternal as he worked to make his every step soundless; keeping his eyes trained on the light ahead. A small piece of deformed glass shattered beneath his boot, causing every muscle in his body to tense. He listened for any reactions _. … … … Nothing._ Fox took a silent breath, then continued forward; ever more cautiously. Fox reached the doors and crouched low to the ground before attempting to peer into the light; letting only one of his eyes protrude from the wall.

Fox saw a vast, weathered car garage that was filled with the exploded remains of countless domestic vehicles; one of them parked only a few meters from the doors and was seemingly untouched by The Storm. It was from the headlights of this hovercraft that the light came from, and what Fox instantly guessed to be the source of the alarm. Fox quickly did another scan of the area, checking for who had unlocked the vehicle. Finding nothing, he shot a glance behind him to check the halls, and his heart leapt as he aimed his rifle at the silhouette standing over him. His eyes honed-in on it before he pulled the trigger. Upon recognizing the figure, his entire body locked up.

"I'm going to run an errand for you father, okay?" His mother told him, her expression warm and compassionate; her voice as soft and sweet as when she told stories and sung lullabies to him as a cub.

Fox's jaw fell ajar, she looked just as he remembered her. Sleek, orange, well-groomed fur enwrapped her body; pure white fur overlaid her muzzle and cheeks; her form was that of a goddess; a smooth, silk, pearl-white dress draped over her coat; her hands and forearms encased in gloves of the same fashion. His father always spoke her name with such delicacy.

Vixy smiled lovingly at him, reaching out to rub the hair on his head.

Fox instantly struck the hand away, keeping the rifle trained sharply on her as his baffled gaze grew cold.

Vixy looked upon him with amusement. "Okay tuff guy, just know I love you and I won't be gone long. We'll take care of your project as soon as I'm back."

Fox's arms were beginning to shake, he couldn't believe what he was hearing; his mother was telling him, word for word, what she had on one cursed night.

Vixy stood straight again and walked toward the double doors; stopping before them and looking back at him with a pleading expression. "You know your father usually would be helping both of us, that's why he needs rest tonight. I don't think either of us want him working himself to death; like he _loves_ to do." She added humorously before stepping out.

Fox had stayed put, his mind in complete disarray as he tried to convince himself what he was seeing wasn't real. _She's not even wearing a filtration mask… but I smacked her hand away! I felt her wrist! This must be more than imagination, it's-_ Fox's thoughts were stopped by the recollection of what came next. Fox leapt to his feet and ducked through the panels in the sliding doors; seeing his mother already settled into the car.

Fox's heart took control as he stood. " _Mom_! _DON'T_ -!"

The vehicle ignited with a blast that knocked Fox back through the metal sliding door frame and into the wall across from it. The impact forced all air from his lungs before he even slid to the ground. He lay gasping for its return until he heard her screams. Fox looked up to observe in horror that his mother was still alive inside the hovercraft, burning to death. Still breathless, Fox forced himself back to his feet as he rushed through the doors. As he approached the vehicle, he was instantly met with the unbearable heat from the flames. Pushing past the pain, he yanked off his shemagh and used it to protect his hand while opening the door; giving way for Vixy's burning, hairless figure fell out and lay silent and motionless on the ground.

Fox eyes grew wide and moist. " _No…"_

Against his instincts, the heat drove him to stagger away from the vehicle; his wetted eyes still locked on the unrecognizable remains. His back reached a concrete pillar, which he used for support to slide to a sitting position. Fox was just fourteen years old that night, but he'd heard the explosion and even caught a glimpse of the burning wreckage after; he'd never heard her screams, never saw her flailing body. His father told him she had died instantly. _Painlessly…_

Fox's eyes filled with wrath as he returned to his feet and started hollering at the space around him. "She went _painlessly_! How _dare_ you taint her death with suffering! You want me?! _Here I am_! _But leave her OUT OF THIS!_ "

The atmosphere responded with a loud, startling crash in the levels above him; loud enough to be from something much larger than a hovercraft.

Fox had bolted back through the sliding doors in case the roof was caving in, but nothing collapsed. Fox swiftly reapplied his shemagh while waiting a few moments to ensure the end of the noise's activity, then dashed back into the garage and toward a vehicle ramp that would take him to the upper levels. He kept his eyes open for anything as he went, making it to the third level before he caught sight of what he'd heard; it was an Arwing, identical to his own. The starcraft had crashed through the gap between the third and fourth level and slid through all the wreckage until coming to a halt mid-way through. The Arwing had undergone extensive damage, far beyond what was inflicted from the crash; as if it was just knocked from a bad firefight.

Fox warily approached the fighter, rifle at the ready, when the fists of the pilot slammed into the cockpit window; with his father, James McCloud, behind it.

"You cowardly _bastard_!" James barked, giving a slight chuckle. "If you really thought yourself superior, you'd release me and _face me_ like an alpha! But we already know you're beneath that, and you will pay for the pain you caused _all of us_!"

Fox's rifle lowered towards the ground. _This is… this can't…_

James hadn't made eye contact with Fox, he was staring straight at an empty spot in the garage.

 _It's as if he was looking at…_

Suddenly the fuel tank cap popped off the fighter, and the fuel inside erupted in flame.

"You think this will right what you did?!" James hollered. "Vixy was right never to choose you! She was too loving to _damn you to hell_ , but were she here now she'd _loathe you forever_! Go ahead, burn me like you did her! But you _will_ burn _with us_ with your deeds on your _conscience_!"

Fox had heard enough; real or not, he couldn't stand to watch his father die too. Fox ran around the fighter to the escape hatch and tried to open it but received the same result as in his own fighter. Fox felt stupid as he recalled how his father yelled to be released. _Think he wouldn't have tried this?! Somethings keeping him in there…_ Fox's eyes screwed shut, pushing free the tears that had built up on their surface. _What are you even doing, this isn't real._ His shoulders sunk. _I'm sorry father…_

With heavy feet and a sunken head, Fox started walking away from the wreckage, heading toward the identical slider doors that he'd gone through on the first level; refusing to take even one more look at his father. He had always yearned to know what had happened to his dad that day; now, he wished nothing more than it all to go away.

"What a way to honor me." James called out.

Fox ceased movement, then slowly turned toward back towards his father; feeling the piercing guilt when he confirmed that his father was looking straight at him.

"Just as much a coward as he was, unable to face your own loved one's death." James growled; the flames had now reached his cockpit, building all around him.

Fox went to answer, but his trembling jaw could form no words.

James grunted in ridicule. "I never should've saved you; _you've failed me_."

Fox's emotions fell dead, butchered by the being's claim that it was the father that spared him from Andross' trap. Slowly his teeth grit, feeling anger rising inside him at the false vision's scorn. Before he could retaliate the flames engulfed his father, bringing him screaming to the floor of the cockpit; out of Fox's sight. Fox found himself unable to move as he listened to the continued torment till it died out in silence. Fox remained motionless, fists clenched and eyes closed; tears streaming into the fur on his cheeks.

His gaze still fallen, Fox finally turned away and continued walking toward the sliding doors. Upon stepping inside, he realized the ground at his feet hadn't changed from concrete. Fox looked up and found himself on the roof of a place he remembered too well. The thick, crimson atmosphere had been replaced by a cloudless, starry sky with countless, bright lit buildings surrounding its base in every direction. _No… not here. Please…_

"Fox…" The vixen called.

Fox froze, her voice bringing him a chill worse than the breeze that swept through him. He couldn't look towards her, unable to face what he knew he was about to see. _Snap out of it, Fox; SNAP OUT OF IT!_

"Fox…" She called again.

Fox's eyes were forcedly drawn to her.

Krystal stood exactly where she had that night; tears streaming down her cheeks.

Fox worked up a growl in a fight to keep his mentality. "You're _not_ real..." Fox lunged towards her. " _Leave me_!"

" _You_ left _me_ , _Fox_." Krystal sobbed. "You left me _all alone_ in the dark."

His gaze snapped away from her, cringing at her words; nothing compared to their fierce sting. " _I_ … _I'm sorry_ …" He cried, steadily looking back at her. "Not a day goes by I don't regret what I've done… I'd give _my life_ to make it right."

The stars were instantaneously blown from the sky as the blood red hue returned and all the buildings around them began crumbling under a shower of lightning. Fox's fearful gaze returned to Krystal, and his eyes snapped wide with shock at finding that her entire left arm was missing from her body. Terror tore through his veins as he caught sight of the shredded, blood coated limb lying before her.

Suddenly she was knocked back towards the roofs edge. Krystal's eyes returned to Fox's; her iris' shaking in fear. "I'm scared Fox…"

Fox's pulse went flat as Krystal was knocked from the roof. " _NO_!" Fox screamed, dropping his rifle as he threw himself at the roof's edge and reached for her; but in vain. He watched in pure dread as she silently fell to the ground tens of meters below; enveloped by a cloud of its dust upon impact.

" _KRYSTAAAL_!" Fox screamed, still reaching for her hand that he had missed. The dust cleared, and he beheld her bloody, disfigured, empty frame. For countless moments, Fox's expression was still; then it slowly began to constrict as fury filled every fiber of his body. Fox retracted his arm and slammed his fist into the concrete. " _Why_?!" He screamed, picking up a small piece of rubble at his feet and throwing it into the sky. Fox dropped to his knees as he cried out again, " _WHYYY?!_ " Fox fell to his hands. _What is the point of all this?! What do you want from me?!_ Fox leapt to his feet as it hit him. " _You will not take her too_!" He howled. "YOU HEAR ME?! _YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER_!"

Lightning showered around him, breaking up the ground beneath his feet, and the bloodied, blackened arms of various Lylatian corpses reached through the rubble and grasped his legs; pulling Fox down into the pool of blood beneath. Fox leapt forward and fell to his front, grasping for any of the remaining rubble that he could, but the pieces continued to crumble in his hands as he was drug deeper into the pool. The scarlet fluid and all the scorched limbs within reached his shoulders and pulled his arms under. Fox took in the last breath he could before his entire face was submerged and he was encased in the thick, syrupy darkness.

The blood had instantly infiltrated and filled his oxygen mask. Fox was drug further down by the countless hands now grabbing every part of his body; completely preventing him from swimming upward or even raising his own hand in defense. The oxygen he held slowly depleted, and Fox soon felt himself fading from consciousness. _Forgive me, Krystal…_ His mind went dark as his body used the last of his oxygen.

Suddenly, two additional hands grabbed his shoulders and yanked him upwards with a might greater than any others that held him. Fox was yanked from the pool and thrown to his front onto a ruff, solid floor. He opened his eyes and observed burnt carpet as he coughed and gasped for breath. His entire body was soaked with more sweat than he recalled before, but to his slight relief he felt his rifle back in his right hand.

"Get up, Fox." James said.

Fox fell motionless, his eyes snapping ahead of him to see a pair of boots less than a meter away. Fox pushed himself to his knees then fell to his back; aiming his rifle at his father. He took a quick moment to take in his surroundings; he was in a small room with charred walls, warped furniture frames, and exploded appliances. Fox's eyes returned to the stranger present with him. " _Release me_!" He choked out, resuming his gasps for breath. "I'm tired of this game! Either kill me, or _release me_!"

James stood calmly in response, gazing at him with compassion. "You've learned these visions don't originate from your own mind. This place has a long-deprived thirst for your blood; it wants you to suffer and above all else, it wants you dead."

" _RELEASE ME_!"

James sighed in understanding, looking Fox dead in the eye. "Do _not_ allow yourself to succumb to the nightmares, your greatest trial yet is approaching. Krystal's time is growing short, as well as the time of every single being in Lylat. If there is _any_ chance to prevent this, it will be lost if you allow yourself to be bogged down by these tormenting thoughts."

Fox glared back at his father. "How do I know you're any different?" He slowly worked his way to his feet, keeping the rifle trained on the stranger's center. "How can I trust a word you say?! For all I know, my sanity is completely gone! I may already be dead!"

James's expression gave sympathy. "This isn't the first time I've saved you."

Fox held James eyes, studying them closely.

James smirked warmly and loving, steadily bringing his hand to touch the checkered red shemagh around his own neck. "I've _never_ abandoned you."

Fox's eyes grew wide. The shemagh had been another gift from his father; the last Fox had ever received from him.

It was on the morning James left Papetoon for the last time; Fox was barely fifteen years old. "It's on a dumb suspicion! The military is always jumping at the slightest sound of danger!"

James spoke softly, not wanting to stir up anymore tension than already present. "A threat is a threat son. My job is to respond to any signs of hostile activity; even on suspicion."

"But look at where you're going! You were the one who always told me how dangerous that place was! That no pilot, no soldier, not a single _damned_ explorer has dared venture into that _shit-hole_ since its discovery!"

"Watch your mouth, you know your mother wouldn't want you speaking like that."

Fox lost it. He grabbed a small wooden table with a vase sitting upon it, and chucked it across the room. The sound of both vase and table smashing against the wall roared through the whole house. " _MOM'S, NOT, HERE_!" Fox instantly stopped, realizing what he had done. He waited for his father's outraged response; there had always been a tension between Fox and James ever since Vixy's death. Whenever they got on the topic, both foxes would wind up at each other's throats by the end of it.

Yet in lieu of retaliating, his dad just stood calmly and quietly, with a look of pity and sorrow on his face.

Fox determined that James was waiting for him to finish. _Fine! I'm going to let you have it!_ "That bastard killed her!" He yelled. "How?! How could you _let_ that _bastard KILL HER_?!" He glared at James, who had hung his head during the assault. Fox said nothing else, feeling pride at his father's silence. _What are you gonna come up with this time_?! The pride was crushed when his father lifted his head and Fox saw the tears that swelled in his eyes.

"That's why I have to go. If there is even the smallest possibility that _bastard_ may still be alive, I have to find him. He deserves nothing but justice for what he did to your mother; to _my wife_ …" James trailed off and lowered his gaze, but quickly built up the strength to continue. He looked Fox dead in the eye. "If he is still breathing: I, _will_ , _kill him_."

Fox looked down at the ground. A few moments passed before he found his voice again. "Fine, go die like everyone else." He turned and began to walk away. "I don't need you anyway…"

"Who said I was going to die?"

Fox whipped around. "That bomb was meant for _YOU_!"

James once again stood silent.

Fox continued, " _You_ were supposed to take the hovercraft that night! Not her, _YOU_!" He slammed his fist into the wall as he finished. He attempted to look back at his dad, but struggled from the thought of the possible future. "It's been a long time since that day… If he came up with something like that, he'll have something else in store for you when you go…" Fox fought back the tears that were attempting to come out. He wasn't sure why, but he refused to show weakness to his father.

The room became still for a few moments, then James spoke. "I won't let that stop me from avenging your mother."

Fox took a step back, feeling a sharp stab of betrayal. "Then go get your revenge. Like I said, I can fend for myself when you don't come back."

James had stood motionless for a few moments, then slowly started removing a red tactical scarf from his neck that he had always worn for protection during snow and sand storms on certain planets, including his own. "You may call me selfish, you may call me conceded, but if the day ever comes where you care for someone as I did for Vixy, you will understand." He held out the kerchief for Fox to take. "I want you to have this. It's not much, but it's something I've used my whole career as a pilot. Take it, and remember this promise: I will _never_ abandon you."

Fox's supporting hand touched the shemagh around his own neck. _You were right_ , cause _here I am... Without a second's hesitation, I left my team, my family, behind to chase the woman I love into the flames of hell._ He thought of his father's past visitation all those years ago, as well as his appearances today. _Has this, really been you? Keeping your promise?_ Fox noticed that his father still wasn't wearing any kind of filtration mask. _You aren't living… added with constant skin exposure, breathing this toxin would've killed you long ago..._ Fox looked his father over, not finding a single scratch on him; James looked exactly as Fox had last seen him, over a decade ago. _Your spirit… has it been trapped here all this time?_

Though Fox wanted to believe his father, he kept his rifle trained sharply on him. " _How_ are you _here_?"

Suddenly James howled in pain, curling over towards the ground; nearly falling to it.

Fox stayed put, rifle aimed, preparing for whatever would be coming next.

James winced as he stood straight again. "It's found me." He looked upon Fox with eyes filled with urgency. " _Don't_ let it take you again; overcome its grasp, and _never_ give up."

Uncertain as he was, Fox unexpectedly found a kindling trust in his father. "How can I tell between future apparitions? How will I know what's _real_?

James smiled proudly as he pulled his signature pair of aviator glasses from his jack pocket and coolly slid them over his eyes. With the snap of his fingers, a small light ignited between them, casting its rays over everything in the room. The light grew brighter and brighter until it blinded Fox, then suddenly it was gone; along with his father.

"No-" Fox cried, reaching out towards the area his dad last stood, then slowly withdrawing in despair. His feelings for his father had just begun to awaken; he never got to tell him that he loved him, to tell him of the inspiration that he had been to him. Never in Fox's life had he imagined getting the opportunity to see his father again, and now the chance had come and gone before he could speak his mind.

Suddenly, Fox's eye caught sight of something left behind. Repetitively carved into each of the room's walls were the glowing words his father had burned into his head since he was a pup.

 _Trust your instincts._

Fox's heart was struck with warmth as his jaw fell ajar into a smile and a tear escaped his eye; reading his father's answer over and over as his eyes traveled over every wall. Fox closed his mouth and affirmed his grip on his rifle with a small nod. _Thank you… father._

Fox immediately returned to the internal stairs and began climbing them at a newfound, energetic pace; forcing himself to regulate it and avoid burning himself out midway up. The climb only took a little over a couple minutes, being that he had already been on the twenty-seventh floor. He finally reached the roof of the forty-five-story structure; stopping to catch his breath before bursting through the door that led to the outside roof. Fox felt as if he hadn't run in months. _Blast this filtration mask!_ He spitefully thought as he puffed. Eventually his heart rate calmed, and he shoved open the door that led to the roof.

Instantly dropping down on one knee, he brought his weapon's sights to his eye and did a one-eighty scan of his view of the roof, then spun around the exit's corner to scan the other half of the roof behind him. Finding nothing, he lowered his rifle and did a thorough three-sixty surveillance of the roofs beyond the hotel, looking for any signs of movement. He keenly watched for around about a minute, then stood up; dropping his rifle arm to his side. "Clear…" He murmured warily.

Something still didn't seem right. Above this planet, Star Fox wrestled, and was probably still wrestling, with too many fighters for no activity to be on the surface. _Doesn't matter. What matters now is that I locate Krystal and get us both out of here._ He scanned the surrounding area again in search of any signs of a crash, finding one.

Smoke was fuming skyward from one spot deep in the city, about nine kilometers from his position. From the color and thickness of the smoke, Fox could tell the cause was recent. The bad news was that the entire area between him and the crash site had been turned into a debris field by The Storm.

Rubble from collapsed structures and trenches, formed by de-roofed subway tunnels, stretched in every direction as far as the eye could see. Fox focused his eyes on the smoke, praying she had landed in a field and not into any sort of structure or trench; which held the potential to tear her powered down, shield-less fighter to shreds.

Fox reminded himself of her telepathic call that had woken him from his own crash, a call that he now knew confirmed her survival. Fox closed his eyes and focused. _Krystal…_ he started choking on his own thoughts. _What do I even say…? Nothing could repair the damage I've done…_ He cleared his head and tried again. _Krystal… I'm…_

 _Fox…_

Fox's eyes burst open. " _Krystal_."

 _Fox… They… they have me…_

At that moment, a loud, thunderous roar rippled through the atmosphere; infecting Fox's heart with a grim, blood chilling feeling.

Once the roar had faded, Krystal spoke again. _Crash site… hurry…_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It took everything Fox had to keep himself from sprinting his way to Krystal. With over four and a half kilometers left to go until he reached her last known location, abusing his endurance would only slow his trek. He had to keep a steady pace to avoid stumbling to the ground and coughing up his own lungs; his snout cover tempted him to do that enough already.

Fox figured he had been running for around eleven minutes since he left the hotel, he'd be to Krystal in another twenty. He was forced to take a break when he came across one of the exposed subway tunnels uncovered by The Storm. Warped, melted, and torn up steel based material from the once solid ceiling overlay roughly the entire bottom of the trench. Despite this, Fox was able to depict six rails running across the tunnel floor; with a civilian platform placed between each. He estimated the trench to be nearly ten meters deep, about half of a kilometer wide, and the length of it ran out of sight on both sides of him.

Fox looked back down at the tunnel's rugged ground. " _Oh,_ this isn't going to be fun..." He utterly dreaded the coming task; his clothes were now soaked with sweat to the point of replacing the blood that had resided in them; every muscle in his body burned and throbbed, begging to drop to the ground and rest. Fox grit his teeth. _Stop complaining and just do it!_

Taking one more look around for hostile activity, he set his rifle down and removed a coil of non-combustible rope he had wrapped around his left shoulder and lower right side. He had found it on the roof of the hotel he was at a few kilometers back; the rope was left from a once attached swing stage scaffold. Regardless of its weight, Fox had seen the trenches ahead from his previous viewpoint and knew it would be needed. He picked up his rifle, attached it to the back of his vest, and walked over to a street light near the subway tunnel. Rope in hand, he wrapped it around the light post so that the rope was divided into two even ends; which he threw over the side of the trench.

Suddenly he dove behind a nearby hovercraft, got up on one knee and peeked over the hood; scanning the area through the sights of his blaster. He wasn't sure if it was keen hearing or paranoia, but something from behind him set both his ears and his instincts off. Fox stayed there for several minutes; his eyes constantly searching the ground, windows, and roofs of his surroundings for anything sketchy. Time continued to pass, and everything remained still. Finally, deciding he'd been there too long, he chose to keep moving; but kept his ears trained hard for even the smallest noise.

Re-attaching his rifle to his back, he swiftly ran to the rope, gripped both ends with his hands and wrapped them around his body in a specific method: Over his right leg, under his left leg, across his middle and chest to his right shoulder, around the back of his neck and finishing with both ends in his left hand; which acted as his break hand; Fox picked up this emergency method himself. It allowed for a smooth, controlled descent with little hindrance from his gear, as well as a free hand to fire with on the way down if need be.

Fox backed himself to the edge of the trench, and after taking a moment to clear any loose debris that the line could send down after him, he began promptly bounding down the wall; reaching the bottom in seconds. Once on solid ground, Fox un-wrapped the rope from himself, then pulled on one end until it completely slid around the pole and fell back to the ground below; simultaneously winding it up using his palm and elbow. Once done he removed his laser rifle from his back, slung the rope around his upper body same as before, and began to make his way along the metallic terrain of the subway floor.

To Fox, the term concrete jungle was starting to take a very literal sense. He ran along ground that was warped, twisted, and ragged; dodged pieces of track that stuck up left and right; stepped over the rising count of corpses not far from ash piles; dove through miniature tunnels formed from large pieces of the pre-existing ceiling; and maneuvered through and around severely damaged subway cars that lay all over the trench.

It was towards one of these cars that Fox was headed. It had been thrown vertically up against his destined side of the subway wall, providing the perfect makeshift ladder. Clearing the rest of the obstacles, Fox arrived at the car and took a minute to clear the area, catch his breath, then pick out a safe climbing route up the car. He checked inside for the condition of the seats. A few were still intact, but most were torn from there place and tossed around cabin. "Windows it is." He looked at their condition. Each frame was glassless, but the warped and torn condition of the frame held risk to slice his hands clean open. _Glad I always wear my gloves._ Fox lifted his left hand from his blaster rifle and looked down at the red and black vinyl gloves with a smirk. _Fingerless as they are…_ Sliding his firearm onto his back, he began to climb; continuously checking for the safe placement of his hands as he went up. The car creaked and moaned, but it seemed to remain in place.

Fox now stood on the skyward end of the subway car, figuring how to clear the remaining two-meter distance of the tunnel wall from his head, up. He figured he could jump about one meter, and his arm could reach about six to seven decimeters, which left another two to three decimeters for him to make. _I might make it with a running start…_ He thought eagerly. _Not much room to run though…_ A sudden, loud shift of metal made its cry, and the car began to move beneath his feet. _Please Lylat, no!_

The steel box rocked from side to side, determining which direction to fall. _Looks like I've got no choice!_ Fox prepared himself as the large steel box finally chose to tower towards the east of itself. He tensed up, then exploded into a short dash towards its northwest corner. As he placed his foot's final step onto the corner's edge, Fox put everything he had into pushing his body off the platform and up towards the edge of the trench.

Fox felt the blood pulse from his heart as his hand came within a decimeter of its goal, then shock rippled through his flow as he began to feel gravities pull; the shock turned to terror as the pull increased and he entered free fall. _No!_

Fox swung up his other hand, stretching it far enough to cover the remaining distance and grab onto the edge. _Not here!_ He hung off the cliff as he watched the subway car topple over to the ground with a booming crash; spitting up dust in a thick, spreading cloud which settled as quick as it all fell silent. Fox listened eerily for some form of reaction. _That crash was loud enough to hear for kilometers…_ He gripped the edge with his other hand and pulled himself up just enough to see the terrain ahead of him. There were fewer buildings now, mostly all rubble. He observed the layout for a few more moments. _Still nothing._ His arms not allowing him to hang there any longer, he pulled himself the rest of the way up and rolled onto the edge of the cliff.

 _I made it!_ Fox thought with a smile as he worked to calm the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He looked down a diminished pathway to Krystal's crash sight. Excitement threw his attempt to ease his heartrate to waste; the Cloud Runner was now only four kilometers away. He quickly rolled to his feet and took off running, rifle in hand, hardly able to keep himself from a full-on sprint. He did, however, keep an ever-trained eye and ear actively on guard. He didn't like how he was still alone.

…

Swords of light continued to rain from the cannons of the Cornerian battleships present on the battlefield, each blade hoping to pierce its intended target. Daggers rained back from the enemy pilots, hoping to puncture any exposed vital organs on the couple steel beasts. Hardly anything could be made out anymore. Alongside the beams of light: Anglars, Aparoids, Androssians, Cornerians, and New Cornerians had congregated into one area, making it difficult for both sides to distinguish who to shoot. Star Fox had kept to the outskirts of the firefight to help contain the situation and avoid death by confusion.

Inside his battleship, Admiral Shepherd aggressively paced back in forth in front of his targeting screen, thrusting a straight hand at various soldiers and barking orders; fueled with fire from the stress.

The admiral stumbled as his entire vessel shook from a trio of Nova bombs that assaulted the upper hull. "I thought I ordered those mutts on artillery to not let another shot hit our ship!"

A young Beagle directly behind him answered. "They're at the top of their game sir, but the New Cornerians know our firing patterns; they know where to fly in order to steer clear of our cannon shots!"

Shepherd grabbed the hound by his shirt collar, yanking him over and scolding him with a low and sharp growl. "If I hear you call those scum, _Cornerians_ , one more time _Lieutenant_! Get this through your _canine skull_ : those traitors are no better than the scaled bastards that _crawl_ out of _Venom's crevices_ , nor the _apes_ who _lead them_ , and they shall be referred to as _such_!"

The Beagle's eyes grew fearfully wide. "Sir, all Androssians will be dealt with; sir!"

The admiral grinned and released his grip. "Back to your station soldier." The ship rocked again from another hit. "And _somebody_ keep those _damn_ _fighters_ _OFF OF US_!"

Falco was currently being tailed by one of the Androssian dogs. The chase had gone on for several minutes and Falco still couldn't shake him. _This is embarrassing!_ He thought hotly, dodging another squad of bullets from his pursuer.

"Remind me again why we train our military so well?" Lucy voiced into the team's comm line, feeling similar frustration via constant failure to hit her target.

Amanda stayed in vicinity of the Great Fox II, attempting to protect it from incoming fire. "I don't know about _our_ military, but these New Cornerian pups certainly know what _they're_ doin!" She said out loud.

"I heard that missy!" Shepherd snapped.

"You may call me _Mrs. Toad_ , _Admiral_." Amanda sassed. _Forgot we opened our radio channel…_

"Amanda, _please_ don't piss off the admiral." Slippy piped in.

"Baby, _please_ stay out of this. Just keep doing a wonderful job of operating the Great Fox, m'kay?"

Her threateningly cheerful tone made him change subjects. "Yeah, well she's almost out of energy! R.O.B and I don't have long till I'm gonna have to withdraw and let her cool down and recharge. Plus, she's taken a lot of hits; not to mention I only have two missiles left…"

"Bucket of bolts." Falco teased.

"She's _not_ , a _bucket_ , of _BOLTS_!" Slippy hollered.

"First Great Fox never had that problem."

Shepherd interrupted. "For the _sake_ of the _universe, SHUT THE HELL UP_! How the hell have you all survived this long?!"

"Beats me." Falco replied, finally gaining the advantage over his follower and filling the New Cornerian fighter with holes.

"I'm pulling back. Too dangerous to stay any longer…" Slippy whimpered.

"You said other reinforcements were en-route; any idea when that'll be _Admiral_?!" Amanda jabbed.

"I can call in a couple more battleships, but if another wave shows, Corneria will initiate a last resort response."

"Another _lightning_ show?" Falco amusedly asked.

Lucy instantly interrupted. " _That can't happen_! _Fox is still down there_!"

" _What_?!" Falco yelled.

"It's won't be another AEM; all that does is purge the surface." Shepherds voice became very grim. "Next step is an invasion."

" _Fox_ flew down to _Venom_?!" Falco yelled again.

"Invasion?" Lucy asked.

"We would go in and personally clear the planet down to its core; something the military desperately wants to avoid." Shepherd's voice grew quiet. "Something _I_ desperately want to avoid…"

"Would _someone_ tell me _what happened to Fox_?!" Falco yelled furiously.

" _Not now_ Falco!" Lucy snapped back; Falco shut his beak with pure shock at Lucy's explosion. She spoke again to the Alsatian. "Corneria has that kind of power?"

"Yes and no. The cost of it would be yet another blow to our economy, and the potential amount of lives lost would be unspeakable. We have _no idea_ what we'd find down there…"

" _Remind me_ who's paycheck it would hurt: the government's or the civilian's?" Falco asked with prodding cynicism.

"I should execute you for your disrespect _mercenary_." Shepherd growled.

"Just sayin' it like it is. I certainly know the governments reason for holdin back." Falco shrugged.

"You and Amanda are _both_ under arrest when this is over!" He barked, instantly recomposing himself afterwards. "Speaking as admiral of this fleet, _I_ don't want to see any _lives_ lost to an invasion of that scale." The admiral fell silent, then spoke again with a determined tone. "We will hold the line. We _will_ stop this here."

"You know how many times I've heard Corneria _alone_ say that?" Falco prodded.

Shepherd looked over his shoulder. "Lieutenant?"

The Beagle spun around. "Yes sir?!"

"I want that bird gunned down."

…

Fox could hardly contain himself. "One kilometer, only… _one kilometer_! You can make… one kil…ometer!" He huffed out. The cloud of trailing smoke that kept growing closer only made Fox run faster, pushing himself beyond his limits; he no longer cared about his lungs or legs. His heart jumped when the body of the Cloud Runner came into sight, she had managed to land it in an empty street with hardly any additional damage to the fighter. _I'm here Krystal, can you hear me?!_ Seconds passed with no response. _Krystal, please tell me you're alright?!_ Only silence responded.

Fox thought of her last words. ' _Fox… They… they have me…_ ' Over half a kilometer out, he slowed himself to a walk, then stood still. ' _They have me._ 'He repeated. " _They_ …" Fox whispered.He dropped and rolled to a large, nearby piece of rubble; trying to control his huffing as he watched and listened for nearby hostiles. _How could I have been so stupid?! I was about to sprint right into a possible hotspot!_

Fox visually swept the area around him: the charred carcasses surrounding him remained eerily still, and there wasn't much around him to act as concealment with what Fox guessed to be around fifty buildings total that could be considered still standing. _There should be more activity here…_

His entire trek had gone unchallenged, however there was no time to clear every single edifice he came across. All he could do was rigorously sweep the area with his eyes as he ran, keeping as close to large objects as possible should they become needed. Fox began to dash his way to each available cover ahead of him, cautiously growing closer to her fighter. With few building corners to hide behind, demolished hover crafts and large steel based debris were his main guardians. He had just begun to run from a piece of debris to one of the surviving structures when a strong sense of peril came over him.

A split-second whistle followed by a sharp sting in the back of his neck confirmed his feeling. Fox hurled himself into the side of a nearby street barricade and quickly pulled a short, thin object from where he felt the hit; bringing a dart into his eyesight as he was overcome with dizziness. Fox knew he had less than three seconds to act; he needed five.

Without hesitation, Fox's right hand pulled his tactical knife from his vest and brought it down into the center of his right foot; piercing through his flesh and muscle into to the broken ground beneath. A short, sharp yowl escaped his lips, but he kept himself focused; using the time his sensory nerves gave him to dig into his medical pack and pull out an adrenaline shot. Fox quickly threw the rope off his body and unzipped his vest, coat, and sleeveless combat shirt; then he removed the adrenaline shot barrel's safety cover located on the needle end, and aimed the shot at the left side of his fuzzy chest.

With a quick prayer to the powers above him, he shoved it into his skin, felt the needle extend out of the barrel, pierce between his ribs and straight into his heart. He gasped at the brief, crushing sensation the organ emitted, but immediately felt his head clear up as the injected fluid spread through his body. He conquered the final sting as the needle retracted, then he tossed the shot aside and took a moment to regain control. He was panting heavily, feeling his blood rush through his entire being; his heart racing to keep it going. Fox's head flipped through a countless amount of thoughts per second, but stopped when it came to a certain one. _Who shot me?!_

Fox went to remove the blade from his foot but stopped just as quick; cursing himself at realizing what he had done. _The second you pull that out, you're going to BLEED OUT! You fucking IDIOT!_ Fox thought through his options, coming to one conclusion. _You're gonna have to sear it shut… DAMN IT FOX!_ Fox pulled his hand blaster from its holster and aimed it where the blade pierced through his boot; grasping the handle of the blade with his left hand. _Three… two… one._

Fox ripped the blade from his foot and growled in pain; briefly losing focus. Quickly forcing himself to regain control, he put the barrel of his laser pistol to the flow of blood gushing from the slit in his boot, and fired a shot. Fox underwent the same amount of pain he felt upon stabbing himself; falling to his side as he dropped the knife and the blaster, and grasped his foot. He glanced at the wound best he could through his blurred vision to ensure he was successful, finding a four-centimeter-thick, charred black hole running straight through from top to bottom; the only blood left was the thickening glaze on his boot. His entire body pulsed as the adrenaline helped him fight the pain. _Get up Fox!_ He scolded himself. _Your attacker is waiting!_

Still growling from the pain, Fox sat up and secured his hand blaster to its holster. He then grabbed his knife, wiped both sides of the blade against his pant leg to remove the caramelizing blood, and returned it to its sheath; zipping up his garments afterwards. Fox's rifle caught his eye where it lay a meter from him. Picking it up, Fox lay flat on the ground, crawled to the edge of the barricade that was his shelter, and peeked around it; taking in a mental overview of the area the shot came from. He left his head out only for a second before withdrawing it, hoping to avoid a second shot, but what he saw forcefully drew him to take a second look.

Standing openly on the roof of a five-story building under half a kilometer from him was a tall, black, burly figure with what Fox assumed to be a sniper rifle resting in its hands. Two large, red eye-ports seemed to burn profusely from its mask. The Figure stood perfectly still, clearly unafraid of being spotted. Neither of them moved; both stayed where they were, focused on each other with an unbreakable stare.

Fox decided to speak, projecting enough to be heard. "I don't know who you are, or why you attempted to sedate me. Either you, or others that you're associated with, are the ones who took who I'm looking for from the fighter ahead of me. I'd rather work something out, but know this: I will do whatever it takes to get her back; this is your warning."

The figure remained still, holding the expressionless stare that its mask gave.

Fox watched as the being's shoulders began to pulsate, hearing the slight sound of menacing laughter echo through the air. The figure then tensed up, and followed up its laugh with a sudden, deep, bone chilling roar; the same roar that Fox heard on the hotel roof eight kilometers back. The sound was nearly deafening; Fox's brain burned from the mix of noise and adrenaline. Once refocused on the weighty beast, Fox ducked behind his cover at the sight of the figure raising its rifle to take aim. A shot fired off and Fox could hear the blast burn into the barrier and dissipate somewhere deep inside. _Guess I have your answer. I gotta move!_

Fox looked towards a severely contorted entrance near the building which the beast stood upon. _It doesn't want to kill me, but another tranq' and it's over…_ Fox reached toward the left side of his belt to retrieve his Reflector: a small, metal hexagon with a glowing blue sphere at its center that could generate a shield able to deflect any mid to long distance projectile; but found it to be missing. _Damn it! I gave it to Slippy for maintenance after it started shorting out on me…_ Fox fought his panic by trying to come up with a different solution. _Okay… Plan B…_ He secured his rifle to his back, pulled out one of the two flash grenades his vest carried, and shot up a prayer. _Go!_

Fox burst from his shelter in a mad dash toward his destination, counting to two as he ran. Once two was reached, he pulled the pin from the first flash grenade and sent it straight up in the air; it went off with an ear-splitting bang. After four more seconds passed, Fox tossed up the second; preparing his ears for another painful round of ringing. Once dispensed, he gave it everything he had to make the final thirty meters. He counted another four seconds, then leapt into a role towards his hunter; just missing a third shot. Fox could tell it was another dart due to the quiet, high pitched whistle that trailed behind it. He got back to his feet and kept running towards the door. _Three meters, dive!_ Fox dove into the door; smashing through some remaining, warped glass and rolling to his feet; paying no attention to the thousands of shards that spread across the floor.

He grabbed his rifle off his back and observed his surroundings. The room in which he stood was so deformed he couldn't discern what it had been before; he ceased trying and searched out a way to the roof. Fox found a set of stairs with just enough skeletal remains to, at the very least, make it to the second floor. He began his ascent; keeping his eyes, ears, and rifle trained for his attacker.

The stairs took him to the third floor, with little as a gap or two to be hopped over, until it cut off from The Storm's damage. Fox searched out another way, spotting an emergency ladder clinging to the building's exterior right outside the floor's windows. After checking the roof above for the predator in waiting, Fox tested the ladder by yanking on it with all his might. Receiving little more than mere wobbling, Fox slid his rifle onto his back and began his climb to the fourth, then fifth floor. Within arm's reach of one of the fifth-floor windows, the top end of the ladder abruptly gave and peeled loose from the building; leaving Fox hanging in mid-air. _Damn it!_

Looking up, Fox saw the beast peek over the roof's edge and take aim. Simultaneously, Fox went for his pistol with his right hand and began desperately firing off suppressing shots. Fox emerged victorious, not sure whether to thank his quick draw or hesitation from the beast. Either way, the being disappeared back onto the roof.

Fox re-sheathed his pistol and quickly began to sway himself from side to side to gain enough momentum to make it to the windows above. Bringing his right hand to the left side of the ladder, he timed the removal of his left hand, swung up towards the window, and propelled his left hand forward to grasp the sill. His palms met the structure and he quickly pulled himself back into the building. Once standing, he scanned the fifth floor for his enemy. He heard footsteps on the roof. _It's waiting for me._ Fox knew it was suicide to attempt to go up to him. _Guess I'll have to bring it to me!_

Fox stepped out of the room into a nearby hallway. Once there he pulled a B-bomb from his vest. _Time to 'raise the roof.'_ Fox thought with a short smile, tossing the small sphere in his hand like a baseball _. And what goes up must come-_

Without warning, five blasts simultaneously sounded off and the entire ceiling crumbled. Fox fell to the floor from the rubble that buried most his body; rendering his frame completely numb. He began to cough from the oxygen that had been forced from his lungs, gasping to get it back. _What… what the… what ha… happened…_ Fox opened his eyes and tried to revive himself from the unfeeling blackness his conscious was attempting to slip into. His vision was blurred, but he had no issue seeing the black figure walking down a large mound of debris towards where he lay.

Fox's heart rate quickened as he raced to get his strength and back. _Who... who are you…?_

The creature drew closer.

 _What do you… want?_

The beast stopped and observed him from a one-meter distance. It held a lean male figure, dressed from the neck down in a matte black exosuit that displayed every muscle bursting from its body; its robust mask sharing the color. All that could be discerned of the being's image was from the mask's shape; holding a burly, midsized snout and two short, round tipped ears.

Fox's mind was drowned in dread over having to challenge this brute, but his goal left him no choice. _You… you know where she is._ His fear began to burn by a spark of rage. Fox looked the being in its mask's demonic red eyes. _You are going to tell me… where, she, is!_ The remaining adrenaline kicked back in. Fox was filled with energy and began working his way to his feet, feeling his numbness reveal the pain it hid from the debris that had assaulted his body. Fox ignored it, but found the rubble heavier that he expected when his second attempt failed. He looked up at the beast, it hadn't moved. It just stood there; continuously watching.

 _That's it!_ Fox shoved his arms and chest forward and forcefully sprung himself to his feet, using the momentum to toss himself into the predator, striving to tackle it to the ground. Fox succeeded in sliding the beast back a couple meters, but the creature found its traction and brought the two to a halt with its might, shoving Fox off then landing a wood-splitting forward kick right into his abdomen. Fox curled over and fell to his knees; fighting to keep the contents of his stomach inside his body; fighting for air he could never seem to retain; fighting to stay conscious for Krystal's sake.

No further blows came. The creature had merely slid its rifle across the floor, away from them both, and once again stood still and observant; the scarlet red eyes locked on Fox.

Once Fox found his breath again, he struggled to his feet and met his opponent face to face; his arm twitching toward his blaster.

"Don't." Came a deep, bass filled growl from its still frame.

Fox felt a bolt of terror strike him as he found himself disabled by his opponent's warning. He abhorred the idea of words rendering his weapons useless, but the creature's demeanor forced him to obey internal wisdom; the fact he had yet to be stripped of them worried him even more. Fox furrowed his brow, answering through gritted teeth. " _Where is she_?!"

"Safe." The beast responded, throwing a right hook towards Fox's face. Fox managed to duck under the strike, but was met afterwards with a knee to his jaw that flowed into a side kick to the chest; knocking him rearward to where he had started, his back smashing into the rubble. He quickly forced himself up and assumed a fighting stance; anger suppressing his body's agony. _This guy's fast!_ Fox thought, suppressing the urge to draw his blaster. His opponent knew exactly what it was doing; unsheathing a weapon now would mean wasting what could be his only chance.

The beast began walking towards where Fox stood.

Fox spoke again. "You're going to tell me where she is!"

The brute started to chuckle as it walked. "I'll do better than that, young fox."

As the distance closed, Fox saw an opportunity and feigned a left punch at his opponent's face, then threw a charged strike at its stomach with his right fist.

The creature saw past the trick and caught the real attack with its hand. "I'm going to bring you to her." The predator retaliated by thrusting its forehead into the top of Fox's snout, right between his eyes.

Fox staggered away from the being, who followed up by charging into Fox and smashing him up against a corridor wall; with force comparable to the debris that had buried him. Fox found himself once more on his knees only to be thrown further down the hallway via a powerful kick to his left cheek. He landed on his side and slid to a halt, feeling the sensation of blood trickling from his nose and his mouth inside his mask; he already felt completely broken. _Gotta… keep… fighting…_ Fox rolled onto his front and started to push himself up with his forearms, collapsing back to the ground as he found no strength to take from. _Come on! GET UP!_ He tried again, slowly gaining success. He could hear the footsteps of his coming adversary. _Not this time!_

Fox waited until the footsteps drew closer, then he pushed himself backwards into a rear kick, landing it right into the beast's face. Fox's desperation gave the kick strength, and he didn't give his enemy any time to reciprocate. Standing back up, he drove a right punch straight into the brutes abdomen, and brought his left knee up into its face as it curled over.

Fox's opponent stumbled back, and Fox went to deliver a low round house kick to its left side.

The beast caught it and went to drive its elbow into the leg's knee for a lethal blow.

Fox loosened his muscles and rotated himself towards the ground so the pit of his knee received the brunt of the force. Shaking his leg free, Fox swept his other leg into his adversary's ankles, sending it crashing to the floor.

Both animals got to their feet and went at each other again. Fox slowly began to adapt to the creatures fighting style, but it allowed him little more than landing a few extra hits throughout the skirmish. Most of his attacks where countered by bone numbing blows from his opponent.

Another elbow to Fox's middle, followed by an uppercut to his chin landed him back on the ground. Blood was now oozing out his mask, joined by bleeding from cuts spread across his face; his entire body burned with soreness from countless bruises. Fox began mouthing his thoughts. " _Gotta… keep… fighting…"_

"You're beginning to disappoint me, McCloud." The predator growled, towering over him with a sense of power that Fox was failing to overcome.

"I… I _won't_ … let you _take her_!" Fox coughed out. He forced himself to sit up, roll onto his feet, and launch another punch at the beast's abdomen.

His adversary caught the fatigued attack, pulled him in by it and thrust a fist straight into Fox's stomach.

That did it, Fox couldn't hold it back any longer. He released a violent, uncontrolled flow of vomit into his mask. His coughing worsened and he began to choke on the contents of his stomach. Unexpectedly, he felt the mask fall from his face, to which the blood infused vomit followed suit.

The creature released him and Fox collapsed to the ground, his face splashing in the puddle of puke and blood. He coughed up the remaining glop that rested in his throat and began to dry heave, not giving any further thought to the heavily toxic air he was now breathing; the burn in his lungs from the exposure and the smell of vomit that filled his nostrils were nothing compared to what his body was undergoing.

"You should thank me for that." His adversary scoffed.

"Right… _(Cough)_ after… _(Cough)_ I _break_ … _(Cough)_ _you_!" Fox spat back. He could feel his rage boiling inside him again. Strength gloriously found him, and he began to work his way to his feet, ignoring the blood and vomit that slid off him.

"Enough." The beast stated loudly.

As Fox stood up and faced his opponent, he felt five blades pierce into his chest as he was shoved up against another wall. He looked down to see the creature's left hand as the culprit, and the blades were claws. Fox cried out in torment as the predator slid him up the wall, driving its talons deeper into Fox's skin. Fox saw an opportunity and went to draw his knife, his action stopped by the beast's free hand.

Despite the sharp sting in his chest, Fox mustered a grin. "Kitty made a bad move." With both the beast's hands occupied, Fox drew his laser pistol and shot the hunter twice in the upper left leg.

The predator yowled in pain, releasing Fox and falling to the knee of the injured leg; grasping it with both hands.

Fox landed on the floor and staggered sideways until he found his balance; grasping his own chest while aiming his pistol right at the creature's head. "Now, you're going…" Fox erupted into a fit of mad coughing, however he pulled himself together and resumed his order. "You're going to tell… tell me what you've done with Krystal." Fox took another shot at the beast's shoulder, to which the hunter shrieked and fell over on its side. "Or I'll just keep shooting you in… _(Cough)_ non-lethal areas until… your blood _bursts_ from your seared flesh. Take… _(Cough)_ your pick."

The beast uttered what sounded like a laugh/growl hybrid. " _Never_ before has an opponent found a way to evade my sniper fire, refrain from going under from a tranquilizer dart, and outsmart me in a sparring match; all in _one battle_. I must say McCloud, you are _truly_ a worthy opponent. I look forward to adding your mark to my Angel."

 _My Angel?_ Fox pondered. "I could tell… tell from the start… _(Cough)_ you aren't a good listener." he fired off another searing round into the hunter's foot.

The creature hissed.

" _Tell me where she is_!" Fox was yelling now, his urge to cough dissipating.

"I told you, young fox, I will take you to her."

"I get the feeling your travelling conditions aren't very accommodating."

"You speak as if you have a choice; you think you've won this fight?" The predator released another menacing chuckle.

Fox's nerves stood on end, he knew that didn't mean anything good. He aimed and fired into the hunter's shin. " _WHERE IS KRYSTAL_!?" He screamed.

The beast hardly flinched at the assault. "Worry not, you'll be meeting her in moments."

Fox became furious and prepared to take another shot, when a sensation like a roaring fire ignited in his chest, his entire body grew weak, his head spun, his stomach twisted, and his hands began to shake. The vibrating increased until he could no longer hold onto the hand blaster.

The predator stood up with little effort and watched the ailing Fox; seemingly unaffected by the four holes singed into its frame. "Good night, young fox."

Fox shook his head; he could've sworn that was Krystal's voice. "What in… what did… what have you _done to me_?!" His legs gave out and he crumbled helplessly to the floor.

Cries from Krystal were joined by Lucy, and he could feel the oncoming weight of Peppy's rage. "Peppy?! Lucy?! _KRYSTAL_?!"

A flame suddenly ignited on the ground next to the quivering Fox, taking off and surrounding him in a ring of fire that quickly engulfed the rest of the room. Their cries grew louder into ones of great suffering, constricting Fox in a pitiable ball on the floor as his mentality fell. "Where… _where are you_?! Please… let me… no… no it's, _it's not real_!"

Fox's terror-stricken eyes caught the approaching hunter; who now carried a two-handed steel axe. His pupils swiftly dilated as the predator ended its pause; raising the head of the axe up and bringing it down on Fox's head.

Blackness consumed him as he heard the blue vixen's voice whisper two final words: " _Sweet dreams_."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"I've seen desperate, but this is _madness_." Shepherd growled as he stared at his targeting map with clenched fists.

Lucy and Amanda flew around one of the Cornerian battle ships in pursuit of a three Androssians; two of them dog pilots. "Varmints won't take a hint!" Amanda stated.

"They should've retreated twenty minutes ago; they're nearing total extermination."

"And this is upsetting you, how?" Lucy asked. _Aren't we winning?_

"They're fighting for nothing at this point. Another word for it would be suicide."

" _Good_." Falco snickered, diving down towards an unsuspecting Aparoid. "I don't object to wiping _every one_ of their sorry asses from existence." He ended his sentence right as his laser blasts burned through his target, triggering its explosion.

 _I'm going to enjoy putting that bird in a cage._ Shepherd thought. "Why would they stay if they knew that defeat was inevitable?"

"Of all people, _Admiral_ , I thought you would know the meaning of the phrase, 'fight till the last _breath_.'" Amanda said, successfully destroying two of the three fighters Lucy and she were pursuing.

Shepherd shook his head. "This attack was too coordinated. They drew us out by attacking our patrol convoy, held us back with a brigade hidden along our avenue of approach, and once we finally arrived, they had an entire division ready for us; of which they filled with the surviving traitors who would know our tactics."

"Your point being?" Lucy asked, taking out the survivor of the trio.

"This is still part of their plan." Shepherd said with apprehension. "They're holding out for time."

"To do what?" Falco asked annoyed.

Shepherd took a tense pause. "I don't know."

"Ya know, I don't get you. Not long ago you were in a panic because you weren't sure if we could hold them off. Congratulations, you are about to sweep up the crumbs of that armada; and now you're telling us that you're scared because they ain't runnin?! And another thing that's botherin' me: Where, the _fuck_ , IS _FOX_?!"

Lucy exhaled in frustration. "He's on _Venom_!"

 _Bitch, I know that!_ Falco screamed in his head as he descended onto another helpless hostile, lighting it up and sending it out in flames. "Why?! _How_?! There's more to that _freaking story_!"

"He went after Krystal!"

"She's down there _too_?! How in the _fuck_ did all this happen?!"

Amanda furiously interrupted the conversation. "You drop that bomb one more time Falco, and I'm going to _clamp_ your _beak_ on your _tongue_!"

Falco yelled as loud as he could inside his cockpit, slammed his fists on his control panel, then came to a complete stop; deeply and rapidly breathing in and out. "You know what?! I don't even _care_! He'd just better get his fu-"

"FALCO!" Amanda sternly hollered.

" _Furry_ tail up here before I hunt it down and tear it off!"

" _SHUT, UP_!" Shepherd barked; everyone fell silent. "I don't know the situation with your leader either, but there's nothing we can do for him! He might be dead anyway!" Shepherd stopped himself, took a slow and prolonged breath, then began again. "I'm sorry for your loss, but right now we need to stay focused or else _we're_ gonna wind up dead."

"What? From the _minus thirty_ pilots we have left to handle?" Falco jabbed, locking on to a group of four Androssians and one Anglar.

Shepherd turned to ignoring Falco's wise cracks. "I'm calling in the extra battleships to remain prepared for the worst. Let's hope whatever time these _suicidal survivors_ need is longer than what it takes for our reinforcements to arrive."

Falco commented on how he remembered when Admiral Shepherd was considered the reinforcements, which Shepherd once again ignored.

Amanda called in to Slippy to ask how the weapons recharge and internal repairs were coming, as well as make sure her husband was alright.

"R.O.B.'s a fast worker, we're coming along fine. Weapons are at fifty percent but it's still going to be a bit till we're fully mission capable." Slippy answered.

"ETA FORTY-FIVE MINUTES UNTIL URGENT REPAIRS ARE COMPLETE. BE ADVISED, ONLY TWO MISSILES ON STANDBY. SUGGEST LASER CANNON AS MAIN METHOD OF ATTACK."

"That too. And I'm still rockin', my lovely water lily." Slippy blushed.

Meanwhile, Lucy had faded from the conversation. Her brain repetitively mused over Shepherd's input on Fox's fate. _'He might be dead anyway!'_ She pulled her fighter away from the conflict and took a quick flight over planet Venom, gazing down into its misty atmosphere as she passed, searching for someone she feared may not return. _Please be alright Fox._ She quietly pleaded. _Please… come back to us._

…..

 _Krystal… where… where am I?_ Fox slowly awoke to find himself in pitch darkness. He had to blink a few times to make sure his eyes where open. _I'd better not be blind!_ His body's numbness steadily wore off and reminded him of everything he'd been through in the last ten- _no… twenty? Lylat, how much time has gone by?_ His entire frame ached from all his running, climbing, and fighting; his muscles throbbed in every spot he'd been hit during his skirmish.

Fox slowly tried to move but found his wrists and ankles to be secured to something; he focused on his body's current posture and realized he was sitting upright in some sort of chair made of a cool, solid material. Fox began to jerk his arms and legs in various directs as violently as possible in hopes to break or slip free of his metal binds. After about ten seconds of no results he forced himself to fall still. _All right Fox, let's not panic here… You've already been put through this stuff before in the Academy; just sit and listen._

After a moment of silence, he heard the quiet, placid inhale, and the powerful, vociferous exhale of something breathing directly behind him. Fox knew what it was the instant it spoke.

"Shut your eyes." The beast said.

A couple seconds after the warning was given, Fox was blinded by a bright, white light that lit up the room he was in. He regretted his curiosity's inability to listen as he painfully clamped his eyelids shut as tight as possible. What made it worse was that the room was made of a pure white material which only intensified the light's glare. After a long, painful adjustment, Fox could finally make out the features of the room: there were none. No windows, no desks, no tables, and no chairs; other than the one Fox was bound to by built-in steel cuffs.

The hunter spoke again as it circled around into Fox's view. "You passed out from a hallucinogenic sedative that I keep freshly coated on my claws. The toxin was derived from a plant that naturally produces the sedative as a vapor; a plant that can only be found on a flourishing Venom." The predator chuckled. "Since your government destroyed everything here, I am the only one in possession of this toxin. I'm glad I grabbed what I did, when I did."

"Where is Krystal?!" Fox interjected.

"On her way." The beast calmly answered.

"How long till I see her?!"

"Soon McCloud."

" _I'm fed up with that answer_!"

The creature stood still, then reached up and removed its own mask; revealing the face of a male lion with a well-groomed mane kept in a pony-tail. Three distinct, parallel scars traced both sides of his face from his upper temple, across his eye socket, and to the end of his snout. His eyes were a sky-blue color that rivaled the blood red eyes of his mask. He leaned forward until his broad, weathered, chiseled face was a couple centimeters away from Fox's, and spoke with a humorless countenance. " _I, don't, care_."

Fox returned the glare with his own; not a muscle on either competitor twitched. The two continued to silently hold their ground, until the lion stood straight again.

"Tell me, fox, the fact that I'm a feline doesn't surprise you. You called me _kitty_ when I had you up against the wall during our skirmish. How did you know?"

Fox remained silent as his eyes stayed locked on his questioner.

The lion offered a grunt of disapproval. "One has to give respect to get it. I only show my face to those who have pleased me during the hunt; who have satisfied my longing for a challenge. You aren't the best at weaponless combat, however your fighting spirit kept you going longer than I had expected."

The beast paused, looking for a reaction from Fox. Finding nothing, he continued. " _And_ you outsmarted me; it was too late, but you outsmarted me none the less. Let's not forget your quick thinking to counteract my tranquilizing attempt. Of all I have sedated, few have showed the will to do what was necessary to survive; you are one of them."

Fox's attention bolted to his foot. He looked down to observe his boots missing from both his feet, with the center of his left foot wrapped in a black nylon band; completely covering the hole he had made. He attempted to flex it but felt nothing; his left foot was entirely numb from his toes to his ankle. Fox put as much pressure on it as he could against the floor beneath him and was met only by a slight sting originating from the wound.

"Lastly, I admire your timing and use of resources to dodge my further sniper fire. You have earned your place on my Angel."

Curiosity flashed across Fox's face as he looked back up at the lion.

The cat noted Fox's grain of interest. "Now McCloud, I have treated you with respect; it would be wise of you to do the same."

Fox stayed silent a moment longer, then released a breath of surrender through his nostrils. "Educated guess. The structure of your mask, your large but lean physic, your claws and their length, the power and speed with which you strike; what doesn't make sense is your missing tail."

The right portion of the feline's mouth curved into a smile. "A sacrifice one must make to rid himself of a disadvantage in combat."

Fox cringed inside. "No loss of balance?"

"One learns to adapt."

"What is the point of this?"

"The point of what, young fox?"

"This information _session_. You've shared more than you've asked of me. What are you gaining from this?"

The beast's smile grew. "Nothing. This is merely how I show my respect to prey who are worthy." The beast circled back around till he was out of Fox's view. "You should count yourself lucky I had orders to bring you in alive." He leaned in close to Fox's left ear and spoke in a frosty whisper. "Usually my quarry are _dying_ when I do this."

A quick shiver ran down Fox's spine as the lion slowly stepped away from him. "Then you'll answer me one more question: who or what is your _Angel_?"

The room instantly grew quiet. "That is something only _I_ will ever know. Her identity belongs to me, and me alone." With that the once blinding lights were doused and total darkness returned. "My time is up"

Fox heard a door behind him electronically slide open.

The burly feline spoke again. "It's their turn to speak with you."

 _Their?!_ Fox mentally asked as his heart rate began to rise.

Once the predator's voice dissipated, Fox heard something being steadily wheeled around to the front of him, as well as a pair of footsteps that leisurely followed it. The floor sounded off each eerie step of the walker as well as the set of wheels that rolled along the ground. Both the object and its driver came to a halt about two meters from the anterior side of Fox, who could hear his own heart beat pulsing in his ears over the suspenseful, agonizing silence.

Suddenly the lights returned and Fox found himself face to face with the one he'd been searching for. "Krystal…"

The sight of her condition broke his heart. She was barely conscious in a wheel chair; her head hung over her body with her right arm strapped to the arm rest and the left arm strapped straight down the side of the chair. Her hair nearly covered her face, but through its breaks he could see the minor cuts and bruises it sustained, and her forehead necklace was missing. Her catsuit displayed a handful of tears along the upper body portion as well as her gloves; and her boots, belt, and shoulder straps contained a few scratches and scuffs.

Fox felt relief that she didn't appear any worse, but it was short lived once he laid eyes on the three-piece, dark green dress suited Snow Monkey who stood behind her.

Any hope Fox ever had for the ape died with Venom; but in this moment, Fox saw that even the easing memory of the little patriotic pilot was dead. The fur around his face had grown to the long, grizzly length; the skin of his face had hardened into the ruff, leather texture; and his eyes sang the melody of systemized madness; Peppy Hare's haunting words from the hour of The Storm's rain rang in Fox's ears. _'Fox… that ape… its Andross all over again…'_

Dash Bowman gave a vile grin at Fox's silence. "Hello Mr. McCloud; your biggest fan has missed you."

Fox glanced back at Krystal and searched for a response; he'd entered a game, one he feared playing into would give the Bowman the chance to break him mentally. Krystal and himself were completely at his mercy, taking control of the conversation was the only hope he had.

Dash tilted his head and looked at Fox in disbelief. "Nothing? Here I am in the flesh before you and I get _nothing_?!"

Fox kept his composure as he stared sternly at Bowman; deciding on an answer he felt the ape would respect. "You've already chosen what you will and won't tell me; so let's not waste time."

Dash instantly grinned. "Oh, how you continue to glorify yourself in my eyes! Always so serious and focused on what's truly important!" Bowman leaned down and put his mouth next to Krystal's left ear, reaching through her hair and lifting her chin with his white leather gloved hands.

Fox's instincts betrayed him. " _DON'T_ , _TOUCH_ , _HER_!" He hollered, lunging forward in his chair.

Dash thrust his index finger to his lips and hissed, " _Hush, hush, Mr. McCloud! That's no way to wake the lady!_ " Dash looked past Fox and nodded.

Suddenly the lion's hand clamped around Fox's snout; silencing him. The more he fought it, the tighter it got.

Dash's villainous smile grew even larger. "That's better." He repositioned his mouth near Krystal's ear and whispered gently, "Krystal dear, _rise and shine_ ; a guest has come to see you."

Krystal's eyes fluttered open behind her bangs as she struggled to fix them on what was ahead of her. "F...Fox…?"

Dash released her chin which dropped back down towards her chest. "Worry not Fox, we didn't harm her. It was _actually_ quite the opposite; I lost a few of my soldiers because of her! She's become capable of something rather… _horrific_! It's why we finally had to sedate her."

Fox glanced at Krystal and smiled a little inside at the thought of her retaliation, but his mind cogitated on what she did that Dash considered horrific.

"No matter! Time is _very_ short. Fortunately, all the cards have fallen into place as planned; you and this _lovely_ vixen are right where you should be." Dash said as he stroked the right side of Krystal's face with his tail.

Krystal's head shot up and snapped at it with her mouth; her hair completely clearing her face to freely display her bloodlust.

Bowman pulled it away right in the nick of time, jumping back towards the wall to Krystal's right side. "Bah _ha_! _Haha_! See what I mean Mr. McCloud?! She's a _feisty one_!"

Krystal focused on Dash, every muscle in her face voiced nothing but a wish of death for the primate. "Why don't you start pounding your head on the floor, until your brains spill out the front of your _skull_!"

Bowman's smile slowly faded as he closed his eyes and scrunched up his brow. He brought his hand to his temple as his forehead began to sweat. The side of his mouth began to quiver as if he were locked in an internal struggle. "You… you are… _very_ powerful… indeed."

Fox wasn't sure of what he was witnessing. Krystal's murderous eyes remained locked onto Dash, who seemed to be headed towards a mental breakdown.

Dash's legs began to shake, then he aggressively stepped towards her, as if to assault her with his own head, and her entire upper frame was knocked over with a brief, sharp cry of pain.

A vile grin grew on his face. "But so am I." He walked over to her and leaned back down, keeping just enough distance in case she decided to snap at him again. "We have even further plans for _you_ when this is all over." He maliciously whispered; facing her returning, teeth grit glare without fear.

Fox thrust forward in his chair then threw himself backwards, trying to hit the lion behind him with the back of his head, but no success; the hunter kept his distance well enough.

Dash looked over at Fox. "Oh, that's right; _you're_ here too!" Dash looked past him, nodded again, and the lion released his snout.

" _How did you survive_?!" Fox demanded, trying to draw Bowman's attention away from Krystal.

Bowman dashed over to Fox's chair and slammed his hands onto Fox's forearms, grasping them tightly with a look of wicked merriment two centimeters away from Fox's face. "There's _so much_ I want to tell you! My survival story, the years of building and formulating, the glorious foretelling of _your_ arrival and what _you're_ going to do!" He violently poked Fox's forehead. "But alas, time _is_ short. Your _team_ and the _two_ battleships that arrived to help have done a _wonderful_ job at depleting my soldiers faster than I had expected…" He said loathingly.

 _Reinforcements must have showed._ Fox thought cheerfully at the word of Star Fox being alright, yet he feared Dash's last statement. "Faster than expected?" Fox reiterated.

Dash's sinister smile was joined by a dark, solemn tone. "Everything that has happened, and everything that is happening, is to plan. Venom will rise." Dash backed away from Fox and stood up straight again. "And _you're_ going to _help us_."

The demand sent memories of every painful thing that Andross, Oikonny, and Dash had ever put him through rushing through Fox's head. Every person that had been taken from him: his mother, his father, the trillions of innocent lives; they all flashed through him in an instant. Fox flexed his expression into one of pure hatred aimed at Bowman. " _Never._ "

Bowman responded with a loud clap. "I knew you'd say that!" He said cheerfully, and without giving Fox as much time as to have a second thought, he spun around and threw a right, non-withholding fist into the left side of Krystal's cheek.

" _YOU SON OF A BITCH_!" Fox barked.

"Want to rethink your decision, _Mr. McCloud_?!" Dash proudly asked.

Fox didn't even hear Bowman as he looked over at Krystal. Her entire upper body veered over the right side of her wheel chair, blood dripping from her mouth as she lay stunned by the shock and power of the blow. "Krystal?! Krystal stay with me, look at me!"

" _WELL FOX_?!"

Fox threw himself back at Dash. " _Don't you lay another hand ON HER_!"

"Fine then." Dash's left hand pulled out a knife he had strapped to the side of his sleek black dress belt, and slashed upward along the ground ward side of Krystal's face; awakening her from her dazed state. Blood oozed from the wound as she sat up and cried out in suffering. Dash started to whirl himself around her wheel chair. "See? _Hands free_!"

Tears jerked at Fox's eyes now as he fought his restraints in any way he could. " _You fucking bastard_! _JUST LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS_!"

Bowman stopped spinning and placed his free hand on Krystal's right shoulder. "Then agree to my terms!" He raised the blade above Krystal's opposing shoulder. "And her suffering ends!"

Fox's heart stopped. "ALRIGHT!"

Dash ceased right as he was about to send the dagger down into her flesh, looking at Fox out of the corner of his eye.

The room hung in complete silence until Fox found his voice again. "I'll help you… I'll help you do whatever you want…" Fox hung his head in surrender, staring at the drops of Krystal's blood that now stained the pure white floor. "Just _don't hurt her_ _anymore_ …"

The silence returned; not a word was said, not a sound was made.

Finally, Dash slowly brought the blade back to his side as a merry smile grew on his face. "How does that foot of yours feel, Mr. McCloud?"

Fox steadily lifted his head, staring at the ape confused and distraught.

"Do you have feeling in it? Can you move it?" Dash leaned towards Fox inquisitively, moving his index finger in a circular motion to further indicate he was expecting answers from Fox. "Is it still _there_?!"

" _It's numb_." Fox replied shortly.

Dash stood straight again with a pleased grin. "The exosuit on my friend behind you kept _your_ blaster fire from piercing no further than his muscle; artificial flesh and biotherapy brought a quick fix." Dash's air switched to that of a doctor giving his diagnosis. "A fine armor you did _not_ have, you burned _both_ your center metatarsal bones that ran through your foot to _dust_. But, with some bonding of metal rods to what bone _did_ survive, and the same treatment as my friend behind you received, it's as good as new." Dash's grin closed to a smirk. "Oh, that numb feeling you mentioned? Might just have to get used to that." Dash ended with a wink.

Fox grit his teeth, fighting fear and fury.

"Karma's such a marvel. _Now then_ , you will go to Katina and retrieve a case of unique, valuable equipment for me."

Fox's heart took off at the named planet.

"What the case contains is my final step in obtaining what my grandfather has fought for his entire life. In eight hours, Lylat is mine."

Fox's pulse hastened at the added time frame, yethe breathed a sigh of submission and closed his eyes. _It doesn't matter… anything to keep him from beating on her._

"What equipment…?" Fox asked.

"You don't need to know."

"Then how do I find it?"

"I have someone already there in waiting. He will guide you to it."

"How do I find _him_?!"

" _He_ will find you."

"Why couldn't _he_ have stolen it for you?"

"I wanted someone more… _skillful_."

"Then how about your _bounty hunter_? You couldn't trust him to take care of this for you?!"

"They know you, _trust_ you. I have a different purpose more suitable for him."

"And what makes you think that _I'm_ going to succeed?"

"Her." Bowman glanced back at Krystal. "If we fail, and Corneria invades, they will kill _everyone_." Dash walked over to and brought himself eye to eye with Fox, wearing a malicious grin. "I promise you, I will make sure that _she_ is a part of _everyone_."

Fox fearfully stared back at Dash. "Please… don't make her pay for my failure." He begged.

"I won't have to if you succeed."

Fox thrust forward again, causing Bowman to step back. "I can't guarantee that! _Please!_ Don't put her life in my hands like-" Fox stopped. _Her life in my hands… just like before…_ Fox looked at Krystal, who returned his gaze with one nearly empty. _You're looking at the ghost of your nightmare, only this time there's no fear…_ Strands of her hair shaded wetted, hardened eyes over lips void of curves. _Just sadness behind betrayal…_ Fox's voice shook as he began a new plea. "Forgive me, Krystal…" His face gently switched from that of shock to one of genuine dedication. "I'm going to get you out of here." Fox started off sternly. "One way or another, I will save you."

Hesitance hung in her eyes; yet after seconds of silence, Fox saw trust enter her gaze as she gave him a small nod. Her emotions from his sins still existed, but it warmed his heart to see she at least believed him.

Bowman interrupted. "Funny, that brings me to my ending point." He turned and walked behind Krystal; tossing his knife to his tail which gently set the blade in her lap, then sensually ran itself along her leg, abdomen, and breasts as he passed.

Fox's temperature burned as he held his tongue between grit teeth.

"One way or another…" Dash pulled his tail from her body as he faced Fox from directly behind her.

Krystal's expression was growing nervous; her troubled eyes drifting from the dagger laying on her thighs, towards where Bowman stood behind her.

"There is only one-way Krystal survives this Fox, and that is: you bring me what I want. Your failure leads to her death." Dash paused, and held his right hand out toward the lion standing behind Fox. Nothing came, and Dash appeared frustrated as he signaled again. Finally, a well-polished steel pistol landed in Bowman's palm. He switched his eyes over to Fox, his face holding a devious expression. "I have faith you know what this is?" He asked, openly displaying the weapon.

Fox studied the reflective object and recognized it as a revolver. He was unsure of the exact caliber, but it didn't appear weak by any means.

Bowman used his left hand to pull a single gold shelled, round tipped bullet from inside his blazer; holding it up for Fox to see. "Forty-four magnum." Dash stated with awe as he looked down at the pistol and opened the cylinder. "Back in the good ol' days when bullet wounds spewed blood instead of searing everything shut," Having loaded the round, he began caressing the weapon's steel as he spoke. "and the bullet itself never dissipated; it either sat inside and continued its damage," Dash's grip clenched around the revolver, "or _ripped_ through the entire body." His voice grew eerily cheerful as he locked in the six-shooter's cylinder; giving it a spin. "I loved the idea so much I just had to get one!" The cylinder stopped, and Bowman looked back at Fox; his grin closing to a smirk under darkening eyes. "Let me show you what happens if you try to save her another way."

Both Fox and Krystal's eyes widened as their hearts took off sprinting.

Dash aimed the revolver straight down Krystal's vertically bound arm.

A shout exploded from Fox's lungs. " _NO_!"

' _Click_ '; came the echo of an empty chamber.

Both Fox and Krystal froze in their tense frames, scarcely remembering to breath. Fox's eyes trembled as he dared to hope this was only a threat.

Bowman's ominous smirk remained.

' _Click_.'

Fox's heart cringed with the ape's trigger finger; resuming its raging pace as he watched tears leak out Krystal's eyes and her shoulder tighten into her frame; her quivering lips sending hushed pleas for mercy that carried throughout the white room.

"Dash, _listen to me_." Fox called, looking to Bowman. "I'm going to get you that case. Her life… her _well-being_ means so much to me that there will be _no other ending_. You don't have to-"

' _Click_.'

" _DAMN IT DASH_! YOU DO THIS, YOU LOSE _ALL CONTROL_!" Fox exploded, thrashing his limbs to tear his flesh from their restraints whilst Krystal's pleading fell silent to shock; all emotion departing her expression. "I'M ONLY HELPING YOU IF-"

The reverberating bang ended Fox's exclamation as a dense spray of blood exploded out Krystal's hand.

His mind fell to pieces as she drew her head up and released a heart shattering wail that filled the whole room. Tears poured out her eyes as she held her echoing cry until her throat gave out; yet her posture remained as if she were still wailing. After a few seconds of dead silence, she inhaled a raspy breath, then released it as she began to weep immensely.

Fox felt dead. His breath was gone, his voice was gone, his feeling was gone, and his thoughts were gone. He just sat there, listening to Krystal's pain filled sobs and screams; staring blankly, mouth ajar, at her profusely bleeding, shredded arm that would never function again.

Dash waived for something behind Fox. A moment later the electronic door slid open, then two uniformed dogs entered and stood in front of Dash. "Take her to the medical room stat, she doesn't have much time." The dogs gave a salute before they wheeled Krystal out of Fox's sight, one of them applying a tourniquet on her damaged appendage as they walked.

Bowman squatted down in front of Fox, who's empty stare didn't break from the crimson pool that Krystal left behind; her wail still rung in his ears.

Dash spoke softly. "In case you didn't understand what I have just told you, I shot only-"

" _I'm going to kill you..._ " Fox ghostly whispered as a tear rolled down his cheek, his eyes still locked on the pooled blood of Krystal.

Bowman paused a moment, then continued. "I shot on-"

Fox instantly threw himself at Dash as hard as he physically could, nearly breaking his own wrists that were cuffed to his chair and coming close to head butting Bowman. "I _SWEAR_ , TO _GOD_ , I AM GOING TO _KILL YOU_!"

Dash didn't budge as Fox's snout was clamped again by the hand of the lion. Fox didn't fight it, nor did he show fear or surrender. He only kept his eyes on Dash's, displaying through them the amount of honest harm Fox pledged to give him.

Dash looked down and tried again. "It's usually smart to wait and hear what the other has to say before you go making threats, Mr. McCloud. However, with what you just went through, I'll give you grace." He looked back up at Fox; unlocking the revolver's cylinder and allowing the expended shell to fall from its slot. "I shot only _one_ of her _four_ limbs." Out of the same pocket as before, he pulled a fresh round; loading them one by one as he spoke. "Each limb has two sections;" He slotted a fourth round, then a fifth. "Two down, six to go." The sixth shell loaded, he locked the cylinder back into place. "Do you now understand what I am telling you?"

Horror had already stepped into Fox's eyes.

"I thought so, but I'll be nice. From now on," Bowman's fingers gently grasped the cylinder and began rotating it with each pause. "I'll only do _one,_ _section, per, fuck up_."

Every turn sounded off the echoing click. The sound was nearly hypnotic; each turn rang louder than the last in Fox's ears. The final three clicks threatening to throw him into shock, but he fought it by furrowing his brow and spitefully staring back at the ape.

Dash smiled. "It's too easy Mr. McCloud. Get the case and return here in six hours. Succeed, Krystal lives. Fail, I fail. I fail, I die. I die, _she_ goes with me." Dash stood up and walked out of Fox's view. "In the meantime, as long as you don't try to be a hero, Krystal gets injured no further."

Bowman suddenly leaped back in front of Fox and grabbed onto his wrists again, staring him dead in the eye with a haunting sincerity. "I _will know_ if you, or _anyone else_ , try to rescue her. I _will_ _KNOW_!" He leaned in even closer to Fox. "I _DARE YOU_ to _TEST ME_!" He spat. With that, Bowman stood upright, straightened his collar, and left the room; which became quiet with the closing of the electronic door behind him.

Fox felt the hand release his snout, and the weight of the entire encounter fell upon him as salty liquid drops secreted from his eyes. _This is all my fault. All her suffering traces back to me!_ He bent over and began to quiver as his own weeping intensified. _Me and my protective ignorance! She was a gift to me, a privilege I never deserved, and all I did… all I've ever done, is hurt-no… RUIN HER!_ Thelion stepped back into Fox's view with his mask re-dawned. No action was taken, he just stood there with a silver dart in his hand, staring down at Fox.

Fox didn't even bother looking up. " _What_ are you _waiting for_?!" He said through gritted teeth.

The lion took a moment before giving his doleful answer. "I'm sorry."

Every muscle in Fox's face began to furiously twitch with perplexity and vexation. Of all things he expected the hunter to say, that was the very last. Finding his voice, Fox lifted his head and burned a loathing stare into the predator. " _Sorry_?! SORRY FOR _WHAT_?! SORRY FOR BRINGING HER HERE TO BE TORTURED AND _PERMANENTLY MAIMED_?! SORRY FOR _STANDING_ AND _WATCHING_ IT ALL HAPPEN?! SORRY FOR TOSSING HIM THE _FUCKING PISTOL_?!

The beast listened no longer and swiftly pierced the dart into the side of Fox's neck.

Fox managed to get one last sentence out before going under. "You've… good as… killed her…"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

General Peppy stood in holographic form, projected onto the floor of Admiral Shepherd's Cornerian battle ship. The projection was to scale, and if it weren't for the blue, transparent skin that Peppy held as a hologram, one would think he was physically there. Admiral Shepherd stood straight and strong in front of him, having just finished reporting their current situation; including the mercenary missing in action.

"How could things have gone so wrong this quickly? The poor boy…" Peppy said, burning with grief. "My daughter… Lucy, is she at least alright?"

Shepherd spoke positively, trying to lift the general's spirits. "Miss Hare is just fine, sir. We are currently holding our position and keeping a keen eye on the planet, looking for any signs of further aggression, and the return of McCloud."

Relief flashed across Peppy's face after hearing of Lucy's good health. "How did he wind up down there again?" The general asked, struggling to come to grips with the loss of Fox.

"I was told he was pursuing another mercenary, a female pilot; her name was Krystal."

" _Ohhh_ , what have I _done_ …" Peppy sighed, burying his face in his hands. "I brought the two of them back together, I put them in this jeopardy, and now I might have lost them both…"

The admiral's eyes hinted surprise. He had heard his fill of stories about the exalted Star Fox team, as well as general Peppy's history with them, but this was the first time he had ever witnessed an actual emotional connection between the two. "They aren't confirmed KIA yet sir. Until we see proof, they will remain MIA."

Peppy seemed to perk up at hearing that. "Quite right… no need to put them in their graves yet. Your battleships are on the way; you've done an extraordinary job of suppressing this threat. Keep it up admiral."

Shepherd beamed with pride. "Thank you, sir. You have an ETA on the arrival of my pair of reinforcements?"

"Ten minutes Admiral."

"Let's hope they don't get caught up in an ambush like we did." The admiral grunted.

"They'll be taking the same route you did, so unless you left any behind?"

Shepherd cracked a smile. "I always clean my plate sir."

"Very good. Continue updating us on the situation, this is general Hare signing off."

"Until then." Shepherd answered with a well performed salute.

Peppy returned the gesture with one equally practiced, then disappeared as the hologram projector cut the transmission.

Falco, Lucy, and Amanda continued to fly around the once lit battlefield that now remained a dead junkyard among the stars above Venom.

"So… I'm joinin' Slip' back at the Great Fox." Falco piped up. "Either a you ladies with me?"

Lucy instantly offered rebuke. "How could you even think of relaxing at a time like this?! Fox is still down there! Don't you even care?!"

Riled as they were, Falco forced his nerves to stay cool. "Hey I _tried_ to show concern for ol Fox, but all I got told was to _shut up_!" Falco caught himself, calmed himself, and then continued. "So until he show's his fu- _uzzy_ face, I'm gonna chill back at the ship; maybe even have a beer with Slip'."

"That's the _last_ thing I'm in the mood for right now Falco! R.O.B. and I are still finishing up repairs!" Slippy stated, stressed as ever.

"Your loss. Lucy, Amanda, let me know when the fearless leader shows up."

Back on the battleship, Admiral Shepherd had been silently listening to yet another quarrel between the glorious Star Fox team. _These are the ones who saved this universe countless times eh?_ He chuckled to himself. He was about to interject again and order the bird to stay right where he was, due to the chance of another attack that could occur any second; but his right-hand lieutenant spoke before he could.

"Sir, our radar is picking up something. Two objects are emerging from the planet and headed straight towards us."

"Get those identified ASAP." Shepherd ordered.

Amanda butted in. "No need, Admiral, we recognize those ships anywhere!"

Excitement found its way back into Lucy's voice. "It's Fox! And Krystal!"

Shepherd smiled. "Well, well; looks like he pulled it off after all."

Lucy could hardly contain herself. "Fox! Are you okay?! What happened?! How are you?!"

For once it seemed something in their day was about to go right for them, but the building joy ceased when there was no response. The two fighters just continued to head full speed towards the surviving fleet.

The edges of Lucy's smile slowly began to withdraw. "Fox?" She asked again, her expression transforming to one that matched her rising uneasy state.

The pilots of the incoming Arwings remained silent, Krystal's Arwing held its pace while Fox's seemed to increase its speed.

Even Falco had turned back to observe the turn of events. "Talk to us Fox." He ordered, feeling the same unease as Lucy.

Finally, the Arwings drew near to the battleships. Krystal's fighter peeled away from Fox's and began to circle around the entire area, while Fox's held its course and began heading away from the group.

Neither Lucy nor Falco gave warning to their immediate takeoff after the rabbiting fighter, as if in a race to see who could catch up to it first. Amanda was tempted to follow, but her eyes traced back to Krystal's fighter when she heard it give its first transmission.

"This is Krystal, former member of Star Fox. Requesting permission to land in the starboard dock of cruiser charlie-eighteen; my Cloud Runner is in desperate need of repairs."

Amanda decided to stay behind and see how this played out. She didn't like how calm Krystal sounded.

…..

A rivulet flowed from each of Fox's determined eyes as he headed straight for Katina in his Arwing, his sight giving audience only to whatever obstacle might stray into his path. The noiseless vacuum of space now filled his ears with the cursed, never ending cry of Krystal's suffering.

Fox could still see her mangled arm; how clear that image was to him: the shards of her obliterated bone protruding all sections of her arm, tearing open countless areas for her blood to pour from. How haunting was that blood that had pooled itself beneath her chair and remained after her removal; left there to chastise Fox for his failure to protect her. _Here shouts the eternity of your punishment! This blood is on none other than your hands!_

Fox screwed his eyes shut and grit his teeth, pushing his fighter to go even faster. The shot blasted through his thoughts, momentarily overtaking the ghostly, continuous wailing of Krystal. _That shot… that one damn shot!_

Fox traced the bullet back to the gun that fired it, then to the hand that pulled the trigger, ending at the owner of the hand. Fox opened his eyes, allowing the tears to stream freely again whilst a dark countenance fell upon them. He began to visualize the moment Krystal was free from Dash's firm fist, conspiring maniacal acts against the primate. _I don't care if the galaxy suffers, I don't care if you gain what you want, I don't care if I come out of this alive. After Krystal is safe, your blood will be the next thing to defile the white floor._ Fox's face grew somber, while his eyes exposed a savage lust. _I will slice off your eyelids, and make sure you watch every last ounce drain from your veins!_

Fox pushed his Arwing's speed to its limits, paying no attention to the roaring engine that begged for mercy through the panels of the cockpit. _This will happen Dash! I will kill you! Your flesh will tear! Your blood will spill! I WILL KILL YOU!_

…..

"Fox! _Please answer us_!" Lucy begged, panicking over her leader's silence. Her Sky Bunny was quickly falling behind Falco's Sky Claw. "Falco, can you see him in there?! Is he okay?!

"It's Fox alright, but you don't want to know what he looks like right now…" Falco answered, his voice leaking concern for the first time that Lucy could ever remember.

"What kind of answer is _that_?!" Lucy freaked, " _Is he alive_?!"

"He's alive, and fully conscious. He just looks as if he's been through _hell_ and back." _Guess Venom ol' do that to ya…_ Then it hit Falco. "Ya know, you'd better remember this next time _I'm_ asking for stuff!"

"You really want to go into this _now_?!" Lucy furiously yelled.

"All I'm saying is for you to remember it!" Falco answered, positioning his Sky Claw above and to the port side of the Arwing. Suddenly he swooped down towards the fighter, aiming to strike its wing with his own.

….

Fox wished for nothing more than to wake from this nightmare, like all the times he had on Venom. His eyes suddenly shot wide open at the thought, remembering the third vision of the trinity at the hotel. _Her arm… her severed, mangled arm…_ Horror bolted through him as he recalled the vision's ending. _It showed me my mother's death, my father's, and… oh Lylat!_ Krystal's howling and weeping grew louder as terror bit at his heart; realizing for this nightmare, the ending may already have been sealed. _No!_ Fox's vengeful expression returned. _It will not end that way! I don't care what you've shown me! You've failed to kill me before, and now: she will go free, demon! YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER! When she's safe, I'm going to end you! Whatever you are, my dying promise is that you will wish you had never existed! Only then will I kill you! I WILL KILL-_

Fox was jerked back into reality when he felt the left wing of his Arwing get smashed into. Fox looked over at the assaulted area and saw what had tried to slow him down.

….

"What are you doing Falco?! You could've just killed him!"

Falco swept to the starboard side of Fox's spacecraft from underneath it. "You _gotta_ have more faith in these Arwings, they can take all kinds of punishment."

"That aside, how is this helping?!"

"You know how Fox can get hyper-focused, he's on a mission. I'm just trying to get his attention."

Falco had hopes that it worked when the Arwing began to fly upwards and circle around to the rear of Lucy and him. "Fox, can you hear me bud? You _gotta_ start removing your head from the stars!"

There came an answer, but it wasn't one Falco was expecting. As he watched Fox position himself behind the two of them, the Arwing's blasters lit up and sent laser bolts headed straight towards Falco's Sky Claw. Falco rolled his fighter away from Lucy, attempting to stay clear of the continuous light storm the followed. "Looks like it worked a little _too well_!"

Lucy couldn't believe her eyes. Her body locked up as she sat and frightfully watched. "Fox, _what're you doing_?!"

….

Fox wiped the saltine fluid from his dilated eyes. Two fighters had entered his flight space and were now trying to take him down, his mind would need to be clear to take them out swift and efficient so he could carry on with his mission.

 _Nothing else matters._ He thought as he made his way around the fighters and placed himself behind them. _Krystal will live, and you will not stop me._

…..

"Fox, you're really making it hard to resist defending myself right now!" Falco said, driving his fighter downwards then spinning upwards to his port side. "Lucy, care to help a fella out?!"

Lucy was still struggling to accept the scenario. "What do you expect me to do?! _Shoot him_?!"

"It's gonna be him or me!" Falco shouted, then he thought about what he just said. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like the answer to that statement…"

Lucy was flooded with guilt, Falco was right; she couldn't just stand by and watch him get torn to pieces. _But why does it have to be YOU Fox?! You trained me, made me family, gave me a place in the galaxy! Please don't make me repay you like this…_

Falco grunted in anger as Fox's fire finally raked the outer wing of his Sky Claw; deciding that was enough. "Alright Fox, you asked for it!" Falco drove his fighter downwards and performed a summersault-spin maneuver, ending right where he wanted; headed straight up towards the bottom of Fox's arwing. "I'll try not to make this hurt too much!" Falco squeezed the triggers on his control wheel, and let loose on Fox.

…..

Fox pulled to his right to dodge the assault, though he still felt a few lasers ram into the Arwing's belly. If it weren't for his shields, it would've been a lethal blow. Fox grit his teeth, screwing his expression into one of murderous determination as he pulled up on his control wheel and threw his space craft into a backflip just in time for the fighter to fly by right under him. Following through the flip, Fox was back behind his attacker and began blasting away at the fighter.

…

 _Damn!_ Falco thought harshly. He had hoped to deplete Fox's shields, then circle back around for a wounding blow to one of the Arwing's wings; but all he had succeeded in doing was pissing off Fox even further.

Fortunately, the Sky Claw had the speed advantage over Fox's Arwing. Falco put distance between the two of them, then perform a sudden drift; planting himself face to face with Fox. _My turn_.

…..

All throughout the skirmish, Lucy still remained at a distance; unable to convince herself to take action. She watched in fear for both pilot's lives as they entered the famous joust, dancing around each other's shots whilst trying to hit each other. Lucy knew she was between a rock and a hard place. _If I sit back and do nothing, either Fox or Falco is going to get the winning blow. If I intervene and try to disorientate Fox, I could kill him! But not doing so could get Falco killed, or allow HIM to kill Fox!_

" _Agh_!" She cried, grabbing both her ears and tugging them down along the sides of her face. " _Why Is this happening_?!" Then it hit her; she released her ears as she recalled when Leon had knocked out Falco with a Nova bomb. _Falco had gotten himself far enough away from the blast to survive, he just lost consciousness._ _If I can time the explosion, I can safely end this whole thing!_

Thankful that the two Star Fox members had entered their joust, allowing her to catch up, Lucy circled around the dual and parked herself about four hundred meters from them. _Two hundred meters in, two hundred meters out. I'll have to book it once it's launched, but it's the only chance I have to save them both!_ She laid her petite fingers on the joystick button that would launch the bomb, setting it to have a four second delay on the detonation. _That should be enough time to ignite at the half way point._ She looked up at the stars and sent out another prayer. _You've protected me, now please… protect them._ She pressed the button.

…...

Fox's patience was depleted as he passed his opponent for the third time, still failing to end its miserable existence. Every second he spent wasting time with it was another second Krystal continued to suffer. _I have to end this now!_ He began running through his options. Dash had replenished the Arwing's smart bombs, and Fox knew just where to launch one as soon as he passed his opponent to finish it off; or at least daze it long enough to shred it with his blasters. He'd have to absorb the shock of the blast as well, but not nearly as much as his opponent. _It's a cheap tactic, but I'm done fooling around trying to finally best it with skill._ As Fox drifted around for the next round, he prepared the bomb. Once the fighter had taken its place on the other side of the battle zone, Fox threw his thrusters to full speed and took off towards his target. _Last time!_ He promised.

….

Falco took off not a second after he saw Fox's boosters send him rocketing forward. _Damn it Fox, I'm running out of options with you… I'm actually starting to wonder if I'm going to end up having to put you down…_ Falco had one more idea to possibly cripple Fox's Arwing; he kept his speed fast enough to not arouse suspicion, but slow enough to make the turn as soon as Fox swept by.

…

The distance closed, Fox laid his thumb on the button on his joystick, tensed to give his spacecraft the order, but the last thing Fox could remember was a white light going off to the side of him; completely filling his vision. _Krystal… can't… let her die…_

 _"I will always love you Fox, even if you never loved me."'_ Her soft, innocent voice trembled.

The darkness was suddenly flooded with the image of when he first saw her; unwinding the Vulpes instantly.

 _But I did love you…_ He replied from his own shaken mind.

No lust overtook him, only longing for it all to be real. He reached out towards her; wishing to experience the nerves she ignited within him, to feel the warmth and love for her when watching her own nervousness; and the connection they both felt when they'd bring each other comfort.

The sparkle announced itself from her fascinating eyes, and Fox was instantly taken by her entrancing wonder of life. Suddenly he witnessed her sitting on the wing of his starcraft, staring past the hanger opening that led into space; looking out upon the innumerable amount of stars. Her excitement upon returning to the white burning rocks, and being able to fly among them every day, was just as genuine as the day she first saw them; she took every opportunity to be as close to them as she could.

"They were all I had when I'd lost everything else…" She told Fox as he climbed onto the wing and sat about a meter from her side. Her voice was so still, soft, and sweet; yet in her tone, Fox heard the grave sorrow that her aching heart could not hide.

"It's hard…" She said as she gazed beyond the stars; into her own thoughts. "I feel so different from everyone else. My people all displayed vibrant fur and skin colors and patterns; we wore them proudly! Now… I feel cornered by every stare I get walking down the street."

Fox frantically searched for words to boost her confidence without creating an uncomfortable tension. _It's because you're so freaking beautiful, they hate you for it! Wait, shut up Fox! She can read your thoughts!_ He searched her expression for any changes, and found some relief that she seemed oblivious. He finally decided to settle for, "You shouldn't. Your people sound incredible! Any judgmental glare you get is just jealousy."

Krystal's eyes lit up a little at his comment, meeting his as she continued. " _I_ thought so. We all also had our own psychic abilities, some could even develop multiple powers. I've only ever known telepathy, but I think I've gotten pretty good at it." She said, looking away as she bit her lip and started moving her shoulders in a wave like motion.

Fox swallowed. _That's what scares me…_

That instant, Krystal looked at him curiously.

His heart stopped.

"Do you think I'm good at it?"

His heart resumed at its heightened pace as he fought the dryness in his throat. "You've… certainly always been accurate with any enemy intelligence you've collected, and if it weren't for you contacting me, I never would have found you." He finished with an awkward smile.

Krystal's excitement grew a little. "And I'm glad you found me, I think I've really found a home with you guys;" She grabbed her own upper arm before adding shyly, "As long as you're okay with me being here…"

Fox nearly turned red from nerves. "I-" He stopped himself, clearing his tightening throat as an excuse. " _We're_ happy to have you, as long as you'll stay?"

Krystal smiled and looked down at her dangling feet. "I shall." Then the smile slowly faded.

Fox's warm embarrassment was replaced with concern. "What's wrong Krystal?"

Krystal swallowed, taking a few moments before she answered. "I'll just… always miss them… I'll never be able to forget their last moment."

He involuntarily fought the urge to place his hand on her shoulder. "What happened to them?"

Krystal took a slow, deep breath and opened her mouth as if to answer, but nothing came. Her mournful expression strained as her eyes became moist. "I...I was only fourteen..." She managed to get out, weakly. "The reptiles invaded our planet and used _our home_ for its resources. It didn't take long before most of its woodlands were completely flattened by their great machines and replaced by cold, fire and poisonous smoke spitting structures… They even carved and blasted into the ground beneath; turning it all from its green, living garden to a merciless land of vacant dirt and broken stone…"

Great as the crime sounded to him, Fox heard only growing sorrow in her tone; sorrow that began to fuel his rage and pull his perspective from the current realm. _You did this to her._ Fox now saw a weeping, juvenile Krystal curled up and concealed behind mounds of cargo within a cold, dark, Venomian cargo cruiser while her parents lay lifeless on their ravaged forest grounds outside the vessel; their corpses riddled with seared holes. _To them._

Fox felt the dark entity that he addressed surround him, threatening him; he merely felt himself give a grim smirk. _You think this brings me fear?_ Fox's mind clouded with dark and murderous wrath. He stepped into the floating black haze in a display of rebellion, enwrapped in shadows as he listened to the words pour from his mouth. "You will not keep me from her, _nothing will_."

 _They will._ Answered an internal whisper.

The dark haze faded, and Fox found himself lying on a cold, metal surface in a hanger; looking up into the faces of pink rabbit, a green frog, and a blue falcon.

…

Lucy, Slippy, and Falco watched vigilantly as the fox they had just removed from his fighter and laid on the Great Fox II hanger floor began to wake.

"He's coming to!" Slippy stated excitedly.

"Fox?" Lucy asked tenderly, placing her hand on his shoulder.

Her outreach was instantly rejected when Fox smacked it away, jumped to his feet, and took up a fighting stance, facing his three captors.

Falco saw that coming the split-second Fox opened his eyes; noticing his pupils were completely dilated. He only wished he had enough time to warn Lucy and Slippy, who had looks of pure horror and confusion on their faces; which only worsened with their leader's aggressive stance. "Something's extremely wrong with you if you _still_ don't recognize us." Falco said, agitated.

Slippy began to approach Fox. "Fox, its _Slippy_ … Don't you remem-"

" _Stay back_!" Fox ordered, causing Slippy to jump away as Fox tensed for an attack.

Lucy's mind was thrown into a world of chaos as she beheld her terrified leader. She had never seen him, let alone another being, in such condition. Dried blood covered just about every portion of his matted fur and ravaged clothing. Claw marks drug across the top of his head and another set pierced through his tactical vest at the chest. His headset was gone, and his face held a handful of cuts and bruises on both sides distinctive enough to be seen through his fur. Lucy marveled at how he was still alive. On top of everything, he was acting as if he had never seen any of them in his entire life.

The mental weight of it all broke her. Ten minutes ago, Fox had attacked Falco, and just now he appeared ready to do the same to Slippy. Lucy couldn't take it anymore; the Fox she knew had to come back. A tear left her eye as she marched up to him and went to slap him. "Why won't you _remember us_?!"

"Lucy, DON'T!" Falco yelled as he went to stop her.

…..

Fox caught the rabbit's striking hand and kept hold of it as he turned away from her, then pulled on her arm until she flipped her over his shoulders and was slammed onto the ground in front of him. He drew his blaster and went to end his offender, but was knocked to the ground by what felt like a moving wall. He chest tightened till could hardly breath as he lost all control of his muscles to spasms.

"Falco, let's just calm down here!" He heard the frog nervously plead.

 _Falco…_ The name rung in Fox's head.

"He's stunned, _alright_?! Lucy's _safe_." The frog continued. "I'm sure he was only protecting himself!"

 _Lucy…_ Fox felt like a fog was beginning to lift from his memory; one he hadn't even known was there.

"Protect himself my _tail feathers_!" The falcon hollered.

Fox's body slowly calmed, and his vision cleared; giving sight to Falco with his blaster trained on him, Slippy standing between them, and Lucy working her way to her feet. " _Lucy_ …" He muttered, working to regain his breath.

She locked eyes with him, and at that moment: everything he had done hit him at once.

" _I…_ " Fox strained to whisper, still huffing.

Lucy offered a small smile over her still frightened and shaken expression. "It's fine… I'm just glad your back."

Fox held her gaze a moment whilst his own turned sick from what he had done. He turned from her and briskly got up to walk away from them all, but he was caught by his vest collar and yanked to the ground by Falco; who brought his pistol back on target.

"I want to know what the fuck's goin' on." Falco sternly ordered.

Fox opened his mouth and fought for words, but his jaw began to tremble as a tear rolled from his eyes. " _I'm sorry…_ "

Falco remained still as stone.

Fox looked around at his entire team. " _I… I'm so sorry_ …" He whispered, steadily turning his face toward the ground as if to conceal himself from them.

Falco still appeared unmoved. "What _happened_ , on _Venom_?"

Fox stared off into the space beyond Falco; all the screaming and bloody images came rushing back to him. "We were captured…"

Falco furrowed his feathered brow. "By whom?"

Fox shut his eyes, attempting to control the anger, disgust, fear, and shock that instantly flooded him again. " _Dash Bowman_." He whispered.

Lucy gave a slight gasp whilst Slippy removed his ball cap and threw it on the ground. "He _survived_?!" He questioned.

"How'd _you two_ escape?" Falco interjected, trying to move the conversation along. After today's events, nothing surprised him anymore.

"We didn't." Fox said, looking off into the distance again.

"Then how the hell did the two of you manage to fly off that planet?!"

" _We_ didn't." Fox repeated. " _She's_ still _there_ …"

"Nerf _shit_! I watched her follow you in her Cloud Runner, she broke away from you as you flew on ahead!"

Fox shifted his stare at Falco, his face now portrayed grave sincerity. "She's not in the cockpit."

Falco was taken back a bit. "Then who is?"

"It doesn't matter… There's no stopping him…"

Falco threw his hands up in the air with frustration. " _Excellent_!" He looked over at Slippy. "Slip, go let Shepherd know he's got a possible disguised threat in th-" Before he could finish, he felt two hands grab his jacket collar and drive his body backward until it slammed against a large, wide, multi-shelved tool box on the hanger floor.

Fox held Falco in place while he barked out, " _You will not stop him_! Not as long as _he still_ _has her_!"

Falco was beginning to prove himself wrong that nothing else today could surprise him, Fox's sudden offense actually struck a bolt of fear through him; rarely had Fox ever displayed such brute force. "So she's a hostage, there's ways around this Fox! But first we have to prevent-"

"THERE IS _NO_ _PREVENTING_! Bowman made it _VERY_ clear to me that if his plan falls through, they're going to kill him!"

"I fail to see where this is a _bad thing_?!"

Fox leaned in closer. "He'll take _Krystal_ with him."

"Then we kill him first! Or we get the Cornerian Special Forces to sneak in and rescue her! They've done stuff like that many times! There _are options_ Fox!"

Fox drew his blade and put it right to Falco's lower beak. " _I, won't, risk it_." He growled.

The action didn't even phase Falco, he'd had enough. He shoved Fox off of him. "So you're telling me that we're supposed to bow down and give the galaxy to this guy?! That no matter what we do, he's gonna kill Krystal?! We have to do something Fox! I understand the risk, but you have to compare one life versus trillions! He's probably just going to kill her anyway, and _you_ along _with her_! _That ever cross your mind_?!"

He's not going to _just kill_ her." Fox suddenly voiced a deranged chuckle as he slowly shook his head. "That's the best part. He's just going to shred her limbs." He continued his light laughter. " _One_ by _one_."

Horror leapt onto Falco's face.

Tears began rolling down Fox's cheeks as he continued his demented chuckling, his eyes fearfully widening as he relived the ghastly moment. "He-he shattered one right in front of me… just took the gun, and… and sent a bullet right into her shoulder; _straight down_ her arm."

Lucy clasped her hand over her mouth, a tear now rolled from her eye at hearing the horrid act.

Fox's laughing turned into an unhindered sobbing as he dropped his knife and fell to the ground, propped up on his knees and elbows. He tried his best to speak through his weeping. "If… if he gets even the… _smallest hint_ that the military knows of his plans… If he even suspects that… I'm trying to find a way to save her other than… what he's told me to do… she will suffer; she will suffer worse than _anything_ imaginable." Fox looked up at Falco through his saltine fluid soaked eyes. "He will make her, and me alongside her, _beg_ him to just _kill her_ …"

Falco was rendered speechless; Fox had been right all along. All the false alarms they reported too, all the distress calls that turned out to be phony, Fox had finally stumbled upon the real thing. Bowman was alive, and now he had Fox in his hands like a puppet; by a means that not even a nightmare could do justice. Guilt reared its ugly head inside of Falco. _All the shit I've ever given him…_ Falco knelt beside Fox, who had dropped his head back towards the floor. "So… what does he want you to do?"

"I hardly even know…" Fox whispered. "I'm supposed to go to Katina and meet up with someone who'll guide me to a case of valuable equipment that Dash wouldn't even describe to me, steal it, and report back to him. By now, I've only got..." Fox took a moment to look at a black watch that Falco had never seen before, a watch that had a set time ticking away on its digital screen. "Four hours, thirty-nine minutes until it's over for me, and it begins for her…"

 _This just keeps getting better._ Falco mused, taking a moment to think the whole situation over. "Katina huh? Robbing the place is going to be no small task. You're gonna need help."

Fox looked back up at Falco.

Falco raised his voice. "R.O.B., set course for Katina, and make it a real snappy trip."

R.O.B. responded over the comm line. "COURSE CHARTED. BRACE FOR MOVEMENT."

Falco returned audience to Fox. "What was the last thing you ate?"

Fox had to think for a moment. He hadn't given any genuine thought to food for hours, he wasn't even sure how much time had passed during his presence on Venom. "Protein pills." He answered.

"Dear Lylat…" Falco mumbled, wiping his face with his feathered hand. "Slip', get him something _real_ to eat."

"I'll whip up something quick!" Slip exclaimed as he charged off on his newfound mission.

"I'm not sure if I even _can_ eat right now…" Fox uttered.

"Too bad. If you're gonna steal from the capital Cornerian military base in this system, you're going to put something more in your stomach than freakin' _pills_." Falco looked Fox over. "Plus, you're going to take a shower and get into some new clothes, because _you_ are a _freakin' mess_!

R.O.B.'s voice came over the Great Fox's intercom. "DISTRESS CALL FROM AMANDA."

Next came Amanda's voice. "Guys, are you all _deaf_?! I've been trying to hail you forever! Cruiser Charlie-Eighteen has been infiltrated! I don't know who was in the Cloud Runner, but it wasn't Krystal!"

Falco looked at Fox, his expression asking for orders.

No words were needed for Fox's response. The decision was made.

Falco grit his teeth behind his beak. "Amanda, stand down. Return to the Great Fox."

" _Excuse me_?! Did I not make myself clear?! Animals are _dying_ in there!"

"Amanda, don't argue with this one. Just get back here."

"I want an explanation, _feathers_!"

 _That's new._ Falco thought. "You're not getting one. Get back here or we ship off without you. R.O.B., cut the line."

"COMM LINE TERMINATED."

Throughout the conversation, Falco never broke his locked-in stare with Fox; questioning his own sanity. As he'd have everyone think, he always made his choices off the value of coin. Now, there would be no hiding where he placed the value of life; and the looming question of loyalty threatened his choice.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A young pit bull fell to the ground; choking on blood that began filling his lungs from the shrapnel that had torn through his upper body. The dog gasped for air in vain as any room for oxygen was becoming occupied by his internal fluid. Panic set in as the CSC (Cornerian Space Core) mechanic realized his fate, but his will to live wouldn't cave. _Keep your eyes open!_ He ordered. _Don't go into shock!_ He continued to struggle valiantly, hoping for a miracle that would never come.

The pit bull didn't hear nor see the pair of black boots that landed right beside him, nor the individual that filled them. The last thing the dog saw was the flash of a pistol's muzzle aimed straight at his head. The soldier went limp on the floor as his life was extinguished from existence. The now empty shell lay with the rest of its once breathing brethren in the hanger of Charlie-Eighteen.

The lion stood as the lone survivor of the carnage, standing amidst shattered crates of various supplies, burning oil and fuel canisters; crippled fighters that erupted and burned from their own internal fluids and electric wiring; and all the shredded, scorched bodies of the jet chamber's current occupants.

Sheathing the pistol, the hunter spent no more time on the matter as he began walking towards the steel entry door that lead deeper into the ship, mentally planning for what he knew was coming his way.

"Run me through it." He had told Bowman's database back on Venom.

"They are the CSC IRF (Infiltration Response Force). Corneria trains these responders to be able to neutralize any threat that were to invade the ship as quickly, and with the least amount of collateral damage, as possible. Their skills far outweigh the combat effectiveness of even the most decorated infantrymales. Partnered with their abilities, the government arms them with the most efficient tactical gear and weapons known to animal kind."

"Explain." He ordered, lifting his laser caliber sniper rifle up to grasp its barrel in his left hand; gently rubbing his thumb against a countless amount of tally marks that had been engraved into it.

"Their base uniform is a flame retardant BDU (Battle Dress Uniform) of a steel gray color that matches the interior walls of the ship. Their hands gloved in a smoky blue fire proof material same as the BDU. On their left forearm they wear a flat, touch screen VDT (visual display terminal) that allows them to control certain aspects of the ship from their person. Their boots, upper body armor, and helmets are tinted the same color as the gloves and made of a carbon fiber alloy.

"The anatomy of the material used in the armor has a bond strong as diamond, yet remains remarkably lightweight and can absorb, then dissipate offensive energy by adaptively relaxing as it undergoes the impact of its offender. Topping it off, the alloy doesn't retain heat; making even some high caliber laser and plasma based munitions useless against it."

The lion's left hand trailed up the barrel to the body of his sniper, where further ticks had been carved into intended locations; apparently undeterred.

"The IRF's boots run up to their knees and their upper body plates cover all but their arms. The soldier's headgear leave only their mouths and anterior part of their necks vulnerable: a neon green, polycarbonate visor stretches across both eyes of the wearer, while the rest of their skull is covered in a dome shaped helmet that held an imperial design. The helmet's posterior end spread down far enough to shield the back of the wearer's neck."

"In the knowledgeable hands of each IRF member lies a three-round burst laser rifle equipped with a flashlight, grenade launcher, supporting barrel grip, and an adaptable holographic to ACOG sight; the ACOG holding thermal capabilities.

"Trained to face, outwit, and kill things both known and unknown to them, the CSC IRF is one of the deadliest forces known to the universe."

"How I wish I could watch the firefight." Bowman had sinisterly remarked to the predator.

The lion's left hand grasped the charging handle of the rifle and pulled it to the rear; the rifle giving off a sound similar to an electric charge. "You'd be disappointed." The hunter answered, sliding it forward again; proceeded by a sound like before, only at a different pitch. "They are merely my next quarry."

His final comment echoed in his head as he stopped at the top of the long ramp; looking upon a solid balcony that stretched along the elongated wall that contained the doorway to the internal portion of the ship. Removing his supporting hand from his sniper rifle, he reached into a tactical pouch that stretched along his entire spine and pulled out a handful of black, solid spheres about four centimeters in diameter each. He bent down and scattered them all across the surface that lay in front of the silver doors, sending a few rolling down both ends of the raised platform.

Right as the last ball left his hand, the predator heard the footsteps of his approaching company. His space had been cleared, his trap set; all unseen by the security cameras he'd destroyed upon entry in the Cloud Runner. _I'm ready for you, my prey._

Sliding his rifle onto his back, he pulled out his pistol and aimed it toward a rafter about one-hundred-meters posterior to him in the hanger ceiling. Grasping the blaster with his other hand as he turned to face it, he applied forward pressure to a switch placed on the side of the weapon; out launched a small, magnetic, metal half-sphere with a thin, blue, continuous beam trailing behind it; originating from the projection point on the blaster. The magnet attached itself to the horizontal beam above, and in the split second before the pull the lion tightened his grip while relaxing the rest of the muscles in his body; aiming to lessen the toll the jerk would take on him. The tug came strong, but his grip proved stronger as he lifted off the ground and flew towards the ceiling right as his ears picked up the heavy click of the steel doors preparing to open.

The entrance split and a dense red beam bolted through it; heading straight for the Cloud Runner and delivering an instant death sentence upon impact. The lion curled himself into a ball to shield his vital areas from the flame and debris; his exosuit protected the rest of him from the heat and small shrapnel that could reach the twenty-five-meter high ceiling. Following the laser was a thick smoke cover that flooded into the hanger via the doorway, providing around eight square meter concealment for the incoming squad of soldiers.

These stealth attempts never fazed the hunter, his mask's thermal vision could see through most screens of any kind. He switched it on and observed the last two of a ten dog group run into the room and take up positions exactly where he planned. They remained inside the smokescreen, able to see him equally clear with their own headgear.

The predator smirked under his mask.

Right as the first Infiltration Response member spotted him and raised his weapon to fire, the lion aimed a blue-ray coming from an ignition stick he held in his free hand toward the group, and pressed the red button at the top of the stick. Simultaneously, the floor on which the defense team stood lit up in an enormous plume of fire, heating the surrounding air to an alarming temperature; burning their exposed necks and muzzles as well as overwhelming their thermal vision. The lion used the opportunity to lower himself back down to the floor; waiting only a moment for the blue beam to retract the magnet back to his pistol before sprinting up the ramp into the smoke, past the ten temporarily blind soldiers, and into the hallway from which they came.

During the run the hunter inserted the ignition stick into the handle of his pistol, sheathed it, drew his rifle from his back, and locked the digital scope down against the right side of the weapon. As he neared the passage entrance he slowed his pace and brought the sniper rifle's holographic sight up to his right eye.

The lion cleared the smoke and laid eyes on six soldiers that were positioned at different distance points along the hallway; the first two were taking cover behind steel panels that had about a two square-meter height and width, and were placed only three meters ahead of him. In less than a second, the predator placed the red dot on the head of the dog closest to him and pulled the trigger.

The instant the blast left the barrel he swiftly shifted his aim over to the soldier on the other side, lining up his sights and releasing another shot right as the first bullet hit its target. As he released the trigger, the lion rolled behind the thick, steel barricade that his first target on the opposite side had used for cover; who now lay motionless on the floor with a small hole burned deep into his brain.

The predator grabbed the corpse's head and yanked his entire body over to his side of panel. He acted with a purpose as he listened to the bullets burn into the opposite side of his cover, and kept tabs on the group right outside the passage. He grabbed the dead soldier's VDT and quickly searched out door controls, finding the option for it already on the screen's main menu. The hunter knew it wouldn't be hard to find, they were always programmed to be easily accessible in case the IRF member needed to create a split-second barricade. Once the option was selected, it instantly honed-in on his location and gave him the door controls for all entryways in his vicinity. Choosing the one that went to the hanger, he shut the massive, dense steel doors right as the HUD of the ten IRF soldiers outside the hallway had cleared.

His mind raced to the next step, knowing the dogs he just shut out could easily reopen the door any second. He swiftly pulled out a secure digital card out of a slotted pocket on the right shoulder of his exosuit and inserted it into the designated slot on the VDT.

A voice came over the headset the lion had built into his mask. "Standby… I am now in the system. How can I-"

"Lock hanger two's entry door and deactivate the hanger's security force fields _now_." The hunter demanded in as hushed a tone as possible. With that he dropped the wrist and braced himself for his next move. The four remaining IRF soldiers had ceased fire around two seconds ago, and the lion knew two of them were already creeping up on him. They'd come side by side, so they could fire simultaneously as soon as they had him in sight; one aiming toward the top of his cover and the other aiming at the side of it. Not ready to waste more fire spheres, he decided to beat them with a distraction and a faster trigger finger.

He could hear their footsteps now. The lion reached for his laser pistol with his supporting hand and fired a shot from it at the ceiling. The second the shot left the weapon he dropped the pistol and jumped sideways out from his panel. Promptly spotting the two soldiers hardly a meter away, the lion aimed at the one whose barrel was pointing lower and put a round in his chest right before hitting the ground as his lunge drew to a close. After the landing gave its impact, the lion brought his aim to his left and put a second round in the chest of the other IRF dog. As the predator slid to a halt he grabbed the foot of the third soldier he killed and yanked it over to him for cover from the two remaining IRF members. Once within better reach, he grabbed it by the armor's scruff and sat up with it, turning the body into an animal shield.

He lifted the rifle up with his firing arm until his eye looked through its sights. Honing his holographic sight in on the exposed head of the first of the two surviving soldiers, located to his right six meters down the hallway, he scorched the interior of the dog's snout with a laser bullet, then swung his aim over to the other soldier and brought the annoying hammering into his makeshift shield to a halt. Both bodies fell to the ground, and the lion once again remained as the sole victor of the battle. From the moment he entered the passageway, the whole skirmish had taken him twelve seconds.

The hunter threw his dead cover to the side and stood up. "Are the dogs in the hanger taken care of?"

The voice from before answered. "Too easy, they're sleeping among the stars now; _you_ just have no way off unless you make your way to another hanger."

"I won't be leaving." The lion stated as he leaned down to pick up his pistol he had previously dropped, sliding it back into its holster strapped to his leg.

"Just giving you some situational awareness."

The lion started walking down the hallway. "How about you follow your programming and give me troop locations."

"That's situational awareness. There are four more IRF members waiting fifteen meters down this hallway, with two turns for you to take on your way. One to the left, and one to the right. Standby… Note: there is a trap ahead that they intend to use to hold you until they can figure out a way to dispose of you. They will enclose you between two mobile force fields that can adaptively position themselves along the hallway."

The predator just finished rounding the first turn. "Let them. Don't do anything until I give the order."

"Procrastinating my primary directive could prove futile, for _you_."

The hunter didn't appreciate the last two snide words of that statement, but he ignored his irritation and kept walking down the passage, coming up on the second turn.

The voice continued, its tone carrying a hint of irony. "I can see you are arrogant. I shall stand by and hope for the best."

The lion froze, his eyes grew wide, and everything flashed white.

A voice from a past memory spoke out. "You and your arrogance… I'll wait, _over_."

The flash faded to black, and a metal door slid open in front of him; revealing flat, widespread soil covered in dense, knee high vegetation with silver walking paths laid throughout. The ground was shaded by a dark tinted glass dome, woven with solar energy gathering circuitry, that gave sight to the upper portions of numerous buildings with varying heights and unique modern architectures; all under a cloudy sky. Rain fell between the window panels above that had automatically opened upon the start of the precipitation, allowing the plants below to collect the fresh water.

The lion began walking the paths with haste, headed toward a ground level panel; answering the voice via a small communications earpiece he had concealed under his mane that he kept neatly collected in a ponytail. "We need both our eyes on before you give Hotel the go." As he approached the opening, the lion swung a black duffle bag he carried on his shoulder from his side to his lower back, lowered himself to the ground, and began crawling through the vegetation to the opening.

"You just want an equal shot at the hostiles, over." The voice replied.

"Be professional."

"For you, that translates to arrogance; over."

As the predator approached the opening, the dismal outdoor light exposed the fur on his arms and face for its dark golden color and his darker brown mane; further darkened by the rain that slowly dampened it and the wet soil underneath. He wore a light weight, short sleeved, steel colored over-shirt with pockets symmetrically placed on his sleeves, chest, and abdomen. Light blue jeans and black leather boots of the same color clothed his lower body, and his knees and elbows were protected by black pads.

Reaching the edge of the floor, the lion's eyes peered down to water sheened roads and highways fifteen stories below him. The hunter brought his view from the ground below to the buildings ahead, spotting his target. "Eyes on." The lion said, forcefully halting the conversation as he unzipped his duffle bag and began assembling his sniper rifle.

"You never could stay in it to win it; copy eyes on. Hotel, Angels are in the clouds; all eyes on target building, over."

A second female voice came over the comm line. "Good copy, Angels are in the clouds. Let us know when to part the seas, over."

"Standby." The first voice replied. "Guardian five, what's swimming on your end? Over."

"Standby." The predator answered as he removed his button up shirt to reveal a black undershirt strapped with a laser pistol in a holster kept under his right arm, two ballistic knives on his right shoulder blade, and a small pouch on his lower right ribcage. Guardian five already had his rifle together and in position. Setting his over-shirt down beside it, he grasped the rifle and began scoping the place out.

Approximately three quarters of a kilometer from his position was a twenty-five-story, reverse cone shaped building with a wide circular base that began narrowing out till its round tipped roof; the entire exterior of the building from the third floor up appeared to be made entirely of glass panels.

The structure was placed in the midst of an animal made island that stretched at least five kilometers in each direction. Two wide, flat, solid metal roads, originating from the target building, cut through the surrounding structures to two individual harbors on sections of the island that faced a seemingly endless sea to the north, and a third cut to a harbor that faced the Cornerian continent to the south; an additional ten kilometers away. Countless hover and spacecrafts traversed these highways, entering and exiting to and from additional roads that carved in between the meat of the city.

Surrounding the compound of interest was a solid steel wall a little over six meters tall with electrified wire tracing its peak, creating a courtyard with a near thirty-meter radius. Crates, large shipping containers, tactical hovercrafts, patrol guards and physical labor workers of various species filled the courtyard, coming in and out of large bay openings that were placed on the north and south side of the building's base. One gate was present on the south side of the perimeter, and two north gates were covered by his partner; all three were closed and secured.

Guardian five switched on his scope's thermal vision and checked to make sure there were no other armed animals walking close to the tall perimeter fence. "Three pairs of security officers patrolling the north side. I can promise two of them down when this kicks off, then I'll do what I can for the last couple; no promises."

"Your game down a bit today Guardian five?" Replied his partner. "Usually you never leave anything behind?"

" _Cute_ , Guardian ten; you should pay more attention to your field of vision."

"I can multitask; they wouldn't have let me become Guardian Angel if I couldn't."

"For an Angel, you talk _way_ too much; _over_."

"This Angel's expressive, and she's going to make sure she gets everything off her mind before the good Lord takes her; _over_."

Guardian five couldn't resist smiling, he admired her stubbornness. She was a fighter, never one to quit. She had the patience for this field and she lived off the thrill of a successful hunt. It was no wonder that she earned her spot with the Guardian Angels. The lion only wished neither of them had ever joined.

He shook himself free of the memory, refusing to allow it to go any further. He kept walking and forgot he had even had it.

He approached his second corner and stopped as he reached its edge. "Get me feed of the hallway that the trap is set at."

"Streaming to your HUD now."

Momentarily, the hunter's eyes observed a rear view of the four IRF members awaiting his approach. The first two were hiding behind the corners of a hallway that intersected the hallway of interest. The other two were three meters further down the passage taking cover behind panels identical to the ones they had utilized near the hanger entrance. All four soldiers were trained on the corner the lion was preparing to round.

 _Too easy._ The hunter thought as he backed away from the corner and reached into his backpack for another handful of his anti-thermal explosives. "Lock onto them and transfer their exact locations from the security feed to my HUD."

"You know a _please_ before these requests would be appreciated."

"Your opinion wasn't a part of my orders."

"Yet my programming doesn't prohibit me from voicing it. You're HUD is now locked on to all four hostiles."

The predator observed four hollow mini red diamonds appear before his eyes in the exact locations of each troop around the corner. _Perfect_.

Without wasting another second, the lion chucked the pile of mini spheres from his hand at just the right angle for them to bounce off the opposite wall of the hallway and bounce toward the IRF members.

Laser rounds hailed down upon the launched projectiles the instant they entered the IRF's sight.

The lion counted to four, starting from the moment the explosives left his hand, then drew his blaster, aimed in the direction he knew the spheres reached, and pressed a button on the grip that activated the internal trigger stick. Swiftly he sheathed the pistol and brought his rifle up to his shoulder, holding it firmly in the fire-ready position as he walked around the corner, ferociously eyeing the four diamonds in case they decided to pop up from their cover and attempt to take a shot.

Soon as he had walked hardly a meter down the hallway, a blue force field lit up behind him and blocked his escape, whilst another one three meters ahead of him activated, trapping him between the two energy composed walls. Right on cue, both walls slid towards him and took away the extra walking space, leaving him with the same width of the hallway, but its length had been reduced to half a meter. The lion took caution not to make a move that would be slapped back at him by the intense shock of the artificial walls.

A stern, masculine, agitated voice flooded the halls. " _Your_ turns over; now it's _mine_." Admiral Shepherd appeared in the staged hallway via the intersecting passageway; his lieutenant followed close behind him. He removed his hand from a miniature mic that was clipped to the collar of his dress uniform, looking the mask of the predator dead in its blood-red eyes. "And let me tell you: you've really _pissed_ _me off_."

With a snap of the admiral's fingers, the distance between the walls suddenly closed enough to come in complete contact with the front and back of the intruder without crushing him.

The intruder roared in immense pain as it felt like every centimeter of his body was being furiously beaten with white-hot wire whips. The walls spread again, and the lion collapsed to his side with his rifle.

Shepherd walked right up to the transparent wall and knelt near the position of the hunter's head. "I have half a mind to close that distance again and leave it there until your mental endurance _shatters_ from the unbearable pain. There's only one way you can even have a spark of hope to escape that fate. You tell me what the hell you're doing on my ship, stealing the lives of _my soldiers_ ; and you explain where the hell you got, and what the hell you were doing with, the Cloud Runner. You have five seconds to make your choice."

The predator mustered a grin underneath his mask. "You value the lives of your dogs?" He aimed his mask's chilling gaze at the admiral. "Funny how your dead can't support you."

Shepherd kept his composure, but the lion caught the flash of rage in his pupils as they constricted. Still, Shepherd said nothing. He slowly stood up, lifted his right hand, and sounded a crisp snap from his fingers. With that the walls instantly pressed up against the hunter's body and he resumed hissing and yowling in torment from their energized beating as the heat intensified.

Shepherd watched for a moment before turning to walk away.

The Lieutenant held fast for a moment longer, a look of slight confusion and anxiety hanging on his face. After a couple seconds, he pivoted completely around and went to catch up with the Admiral.

The lion was beginning to succumb to the intense beating of his energy composed prison. Mustering all the strength and volume he had left, he bellowed out, "REAR SHIELD… _NOW_!"

Shepherd and the Lieutenant turned back towards the outburst.

The voice in the hunter's comm set responded in the snidest tone he could. "You're now ready for me to conduct my primary directive?"

The lion was beginning to fade from consciousness, but his fury at his assistant allowed him one more sentence. " _YES_ … _you_ … _little_ … _SHIT_!"

Shepherd didn't know the exact meaning of the predator's words, but his demeanor dove into unease from realizing it wasn't anything good.

The voice responded pridefully, "Rear shields deactivating."

The rear shield disappeared and the hunter fell onto his back with his rifle on top of him. His body begged to stay there, every muscle pleaded not to tense for movement again, yet hardly a second after release the lion had rolled himself to a sitting position and started to stand up. _You live for the hunt._ He reminded himself. _You live for nothing, but the hunt._

He rose to his feet and found great pleasure in the bewildered, distressed expressions of his quarry as they repetitively tried to use their wrist controls to regain control of the force field. "Trap them."

Immediately the still standing shield took off towards the four IRF members and sent them flying back towards the intersecting hallways.

Shepherd acted the second he saw the energized wall move by grabbing the scruff of his Lieutenant and diving back into the passage from which they came; clearing the force field's path.

The shield continued on, knocking the four defenseless soldiers caught in its charge back a few meters with each blow. Once they were ten meters down the passage, the shield dissolved and the set of motors that powered it slid down their rails one meter past the soldiers and came to a halt. The second set of motors had followed close behind and were already in position before the IRF could gather themselves. In a split second they both reactivated; trapping the four soldiers.

The Admiral had watched the whole thing with a wrathful horror he was struggling to contain. He turned to the hunter, whose menacing mask had already been locked on him.

"You chose to save yourself and the life of your _right-hand officer_."

Shepherd yelled at the beagle to shut down the ships power as he drew his plasma pistol, but before the Admiral could fire the predator ordered:

"Lights out."

Instantaneously the ship went dark, and Shepherd's plasma blasts hit only the wall of the opposing side of the hallway. Somewhere currently unknown to Shepherd, he heard the predator continue with: "Now witness your consequence as four lives perish a miserable fate from which you freed yourself." Another order came, one that sent a chill up the Admiral's spine that he hadn't felt in years. "Execute them."

The walls closed their distance, and the screams of each of the four soldiers rang through all different passages of the ship. All Shepherd could now see was the blue glow lighting up the execution his males had been sentenced too. The sight distracted him a second too long as he felt a dense boot thrust into the middle of his back, sending him smashing into the ground.

Before he could push himself back up an arm had wrapped around his neck and lifted him to his knees. " _Lieutenant_! _Shut_ … _the power_ …!" The Admiral strained to choke out.

The lion spoke to him as he slowly tightened his hold on Admiral Shepherd, reducing his ability to breath. "Watch them die, accept the consequence of your action, and ask yourself, 'should I still be alive?'"

Shepherd found himself listening intently as his oxygen slowly continued to be deprived from him, undergoing the heart shattering view of his soldiers dying under his very orders. Once again he faced the haunting wish.

The lion didn't cease. "Those soldiers each had lives of their own, friends and family that treasured them dearly. How many more like them have died under your command, whilst you live on?"

Shepherd closed his eyes, making the decision that kept getting harder. "They knew what they signed up for." He reached up and went to grasp the hand of the hunter's choking arm. "They had their duties, and I have mine." He successfully pried it free enough to grip it entirely. "One of them being that I honor their death by either making it worth something." With a quick, decisive movement, the admiral wrapped his fingers around the pinkie of the predator's choking arm, and with a swift bending motion towards the outside of the lion's hand, he snapped the bone in two. "Or _die trying_!"

The predator hissed from the stinging agony.

Shepherd took advantage of the moment the lion loosened his grip, spinning around to his back side so that he laid face to face with the hunter. He then trapped the predator's left arm and leg with his own, brought the lion crashing to its side, and rolled right on top of him; immediately raining down as many blows as he could to the mask of the executioner.

The predator attempted to shield his face from the strikes and grab one of Shepherd's fist, but Shepherd moved quick and instantly started landing punches into the stomach of the lion, maintaining the dominant position in brawl.

The hunter fought past the pain and loss of his wind and began keeping better tabs of where the Admiral would hit next.

Shepherd realized his blows were becoming less effective and began to reassess his strategy, but in vain. The lion finally caught hold of both the Admiral's fists and they became locked in a stalemate.

In the locked pause, Shepherd took in the sounds of the dying breaths of the IRF behind him. Helpless himself, he remembered his Lieutenant. " _Lieutenant_ , shut down the _damn power_!"

When no response came, Shepherd hopped to his feet, stood up, lifting his opponent up with him, and then brought the hunter slamming back down onto the metal floor.

The predator's grip failed and the Admiral broke free.

Immediately Shepherd searched out the beagle and found him standing exactly where he had left him. " _LIEUTENANT_!"

The dog still didn't move.

Shepherd wasted no more time and grabbed his own mic, attempting to contact the bridge himself. "Does anybody read me?! Somebody, cut the power to the _whole damn cruiser_!" He received no response.

Shepherd quickly debated his next move, but his mind froze when his ears picked up the silence. Everything was quiet again, minus the crackling of the four corpses still making continuous contact with the two force fields.

Shepherd brought his attention to the grueling sound, fighting the fantasy that it wasn't too late. _They're dead._ He told himself. _They died for their cause._ He looked back over at his Lieutenant standing in the now fading blue glow. Fury slowly boiled up inside the Admiral. "You _fucking_ coward." He growled slowly. "You could've _done something_!"

Shepherd lost his mentality as he moved to lay hands on the beagle's throat. " _Why_ the _hell_ did you just _STAND THERE_?!"

In his blind anger, he had failed to pick up one detail about the Lieutenant; a detail that instantly brought the Admiral to the ground with a hole burned into his lower abdomen.

The beagle slowly lowered the blaster in his right hand, with a small grin of successful deceit on his lips.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Never in his life had Fox hated feeling as much as he did now; standing underneath one of the three shower heads in the Great Fox II's shower room. The water ran through his fur, soothing his skin as it washed the dried blood from his coat, though he refused to enjoy its hydrating flow. He scolded himself for flinching when the hot stream of water met the scars on his head, face, and chest; causing them to burn with an agonizing passion as it cleansed the wounds from any contaminants that had already begun to infect them. He wished to feel none of it, reacting to pleasure and pain was a luxury he no longer deserved.

He hadn't even wanted the shower itself; it held absolutely no benefit for Krystal. Every second he stood in there was a second he could be using to prepare himself for his upcoming mission. Yet no matter what argument he gave, the team would hear none of it. Fox finally caved on the point that he owed it to them. If they were going to lay their necks on a stone slab by helping him break into the military planet that was known as Katina, one that they had sided with for their entire career with Star Fox, then he could at least set their minds at ease by taking a shower. For Fox, however, the shower remained far from easing.

His mind was racing along a mental track that ran in a repeating loop as he intently watched the red liquid that streamed from his coat onto the tiled floor; it's pace set by the steady, periodic, echoing ' _click_ '.

 _Here is the result of your choice._

' _Click.'_

 _Here lies the consequence of your action._

' _Click.'_

 _Here shouts the eternity of your punishment._

Fox's ears now rang from the hammer's haunting fall; his eyes following the diluted blood that traced the grout gaps between the weathered tiles until it poured into the drain. His sorrow for her fed his rage at himself, every muscle under his skin slowly tensing as his emotions flared out of his control.

 _This blood is none other than your doing!_

' _Click.'_

 _This blood is on none other than YOUR HANDS!_

Then came the bang; the deafening, reverberating bang.

Fox snapped, his right fist bringing all his fury pounding into the tile wall of the shower. He heard her scream; her haunting, heart shattering wail that silenced all else. He retracted his arm and sent it rocketing back into the wall. Again he struck, and again, and again, and again. He saw her tears run down the shower walls as he worked, sending him flashes of when they had wet the pure white fur on her face. He began to switch between arms as he brought his left fist hammering into the wall after his right; a seventh hit, then an eighth, a ninth, a tenth. Exhaled cries joined each blow, increasing in speed as they went; yet he could still hear her own. A sixteenth hit, a seventeenth, eighteenth, twenty-first, twenty second. Fox released a shout as loud as his lungs would allow, continuing his assault until both his fists felt like they were lined with glass fragments. It did him no use, his volume did nothing to rise above hers. With a final blow, Fox turned off the shower water and ripped a towel from its bar. " _I'm done wasting time_." He growled to himself.

….

Lucy had started toward the shower room door the minute she heard the rapid pounding, but Falco held her back.

"Give him space." Said Falco, trying to sound comforting through his focused appearance.

Lucy offered no acts of disagreement but looked worryingly at the door. Fox's mind was very much a wild card at this point; she feared for his safety. It had been her idea for Falco and herself to standby outside in case Fox did something drastic, and though Falco had expressed annoyance, she could tell he felt the same when he didn't put up a fight or volunteer Slippy for it. She sensed that Falco was also recognizing the possibility of the worst, and he prided himself in being the most qualified to subdue Fox should the worst occur.

Then came the shout. It burst through the Great Fox's walls as if they weren't even there, painfully falling upon their ears as if it were piercing them.

Before she could even look up at him, Falco had let her go and overrode the panel on the wall that opened the locked shower room door. He rushed inside and Lucy followed close behind, both found Fox violently drying himself off with a towel.

Lucy had attempted to prepare herself for seeing Fox in his undressed state and stay professional, though her attempt was in vain when a slight blush still presented itself through her fur and her eyes had dart away. She was relieved that Falco wasn't paying any attention to her, and Fox wasn't showing any signs of even recognizing his naked presence. Once over herself, she felt even more relieved when she assessed Fox to be alright, until she laid eyes on his hands.

"We ask you to clean up, and you go and make _more_ of a mess of yourself." Falco scolded.

Fox didn't even look at Falco. "I'm clean enough, there's better things to do during our transit." Fox threw his towel to the side and reached for his clothes.

Falco snatched Fox's wrist and drew it in so that Fox was forced to face him. Falco glanced fiercely at Fox's captured hand, then looked back at Fox with raised eyebrows.

Fox looked and found his knuckles, his fingers and the back of his hand covered in blood that trailed down his forearm, seeping into Falco's own feathered hand that gripped his wrist. Irritation flared in Fox's temperament as he ripped his hand away and walked over to the first aid kit the team kept on the wall.

Falco sighed. "You're at least going to _freaking eat;_ Slippy's waiting." He turned and walked out of the room.

Lucy and Fox were now alone.

Fox moved violently swift as he grabbed a roll of bandage wrap, dressed both knuckles, washed away any blood from his fur the wrap didn't cover, dried his hands with his towel, and continued to dress himself.

Lucy silently observed everything. She felt the urge to say something helpful, give some mediating advice to help Falco and he get along, but nothing suitable came to mind. She also felt the urge to leave; dressed only in his boxers and slipping on his second black sock, the decent thing to do would be to give him privacy until he was completely dressed. _But here's another chance to tell him._ She thought as her heart rate rose. _I wouldn't even have to say anything, I could simply… No._ Lucy turned and walked out of the room as quick as she could.

Her face burned red as she internally lectured herself for her rash thinking. _Now is not the time!_ She continued to walk down the hallway, unsure of where she was even headed.

…

Amanda sat, her rounded jaw resting on her fist, at a long steel table in the kitchen of the Great Fox II as she watched Slippy determinedly stir away at some Gornt cubes he had cooking in a small pan on the kitchen stove. To Amanda, he seemed blissfully lost in his work as he juggled between agitating the meat and sifting through a variety of spices and sauces, looking for just the right ones to add quality flavor to the dish; it made her sick.

"How do you do it?" She asked.

Slippy answered without take his eyes off his project. "Cooking is just something I've always enjoyed doing. Get involved in it enough, and you pick up enough tips and recipes to make anybody a decent chef. With Gornt for example, I tak-"

"Not the _cooking you_ …" Amanda's agitation kindled as she cut him off, but she forced herself to swallow the rest of her sentence. _I love you, but sometimes…_ "How do you go about things as if _nothing_ is wrong in the universe?"

Slippy looked back at her and blinked blankly. "What do you mean, my lovely water lily?"

That did it. His stupidity had already lit the fire, but the buttered-up title added the fuel. Amanda slapped the hand her jaw was resting on down on the table. "Allow me to _spell it out for you_! Krystal, our past and dearly treasured team mate has been shot down and captured. Our leader dove head first into _hell_ to save her, coming back empty and looking _battered_ and _possessed_ by whatever lay in its deepest trenches! And responsible for it all is Andross _grand jr_., who plans to end everything by a means that we don't even know of yet; brutally _torturing, maiming_ , and _using_ Krystal as leverage so Fox will-" Amanda fell silent. During her lecture, Slippy's face had slowly revealed the side it had brilliantly been hiding the entire time. He stood there staring towards the ground, more crestfallen than Amanda had ever seen him.

After a moment of silence, Slippy spoke. "It's… it's just another day in the life… right?"

Amanda opened her mouth to say something, but she caught herself upon noticing Slippy wasn't finished.

"I mean… we've been down before. We almost lost Peppy twice, Falco abandoned us for a period of time, Fox himself has been hardly a centimeter from death more times than I can remember…" Slippy turned back to the Gornt filled pan and continued stirring as he talked. "But… we've never been _out_ … we've always pulled through." He switched over to some broccoli he had boiling in a pot and removed it from the stove burner, pensively carrying it over to the sink to be drained of its water. "It's no different from now. It doesn't matter how dire, how gruesome, or how horrific the threat; we'll pull through." Slippy said, attempting a smile as he finished straining the pot and returned it to the stove top; turning off its assigned burner. "Fox and we will pull through… right?"

Amanda had gone from feeling angry to lost. She looked away and rested her forehead in one of her hands as she breathed a sigh. "He _mutilated_ one of her arms, _right_ in _front_ of him. Death is bad, but _that_ …" She paused, looking for the right words to finish her sentence; but they never came.

It was some time before she finally heard Slippy croak, "I-I'm j-just glad i-it wasn-n't _y-you_ …"

That stole every word, every thought, even her very breath away from her as a towering amount of guilt fell upon her. She looked over at Slippy and found him staring a hole into the floor. Amanda stood up and rushed right over to him. " _Oh baby_ …" She cooed as she embraced him in her arms, _what a bitch I am…_ "I'm _so sorry_ …"

Tears began to escape Slippy's eyes as he returned her loving hug. "I c-can't im-magine what he-he's go-going th-through… I _n-never_ want t-to kn-know…

"And you never will baby, I love you." Amanda said with all her passion, fighting hard to hold herself together.

Slippy tightened his arms around her as his saltine drops continued to roll down his smooth, green cheeks. "I l-love you t-too, _s-so m-much_."

They continued to hold each other until the smell of burning meat slithered into their noses.

" _G-gah! My Gornt c-cubes_!" Slippy shrieked, nearly pushing Amanda over as he rushed to stir his burning meat. He almost ripped the burner heat nob off the stove when he switched it off to stop the Gornt from getting any crispier.

That's when Amanda heard the thump. She looked toward the sound to see what she assessed as Fox's limp body lying on its side on the kitchen floor by the entryway. " _Fox_!" She announced as she rushed over to him.

Slippy appeared by her side while she checked Fox's pulse and listened for his breathing.

Fear protruded from Slippy's eyes. "Is-s h-he-?"

"Of _course_ he's _still alive_!" Amanda's statement was confident, but the relief in her voice showed that at first, she too had feared the same. "The poor thing is just exhausted…" Amanda observed that he had indeed showered due to his cleaner fur and change of clothes. Fox now wore a long sleeve, green combat shirt with a vibrant red lines tracing from shoulder to shoulder over his chest and dividing his abdomen; with an identical pattern on his backside. Two shoulder pads of the same color were attached to the shirt, and over the shirt he wore a white, sleeveless down vest. Green cargo pants displayed a white belt and blaster holster on his right leg along with two white kneepads. His boots were a lower cut version of what he usually wore.

On his hands were a pair of white gloves with firm knuckles built in, and a white, flat neon green touch VDT that was secured on his left wrist; replacing his damaged headset. Upon looking closer at the gloves, Amanda noticed a slight red stain around the knuckles. She gently pulled his right hand's glove off to expose a nearly blood-soaked bandage wrapped around Fox's entire hand. "Oh Fox…" She said pityingly, "what have you done to yourself…"

"He's p-probably starving, especially if h-he's lost _more_ b- _blood_!" Slippy added. "I'll grab s-some water."

"He can't drink right now!?" Amanda irritably exclaimed.

" _Ice c-cold_ water!" Slippy explained as he made his way to the fridge.

"You aren't gonna..."

Upon his return, Slippy was carrying an entire pitcher of refrigerated water.

" _Slippy_!" Amanda scolded.

"He'd be angrier if we w-waited for him to wake, you know how much of a r-rush he's in."

Finding no further ways to argue, Amanda hesitantly looked back at Fox.

Slippy positioned the pitcher's spout about half a meter above his head. "S-sorry Fox…" He said sincerely as he began pouring the chilling liquid on Fox's cheek, taking care not to pour it directly into his ears, eyes, or nose.

Moments later, Fox awoke with a start; spitting any water from his lips and shaking any from the fur on his head. Afterwards he just continued to lay on the ground, breathing deeply from the shock of the icy water.

Slippy knelt beside his friend. "You scared us for a second their Fox."

Fox said nothing, just continued staring into the wall he faced; looking as he did when they had first brought him back.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Amanda asked, still staring at his bandaged hand.

Fox remained unresponsive.

Slippy gently grabbed Fox's chin and maneuvered it so that Fox's gaze faced his. This time Fox's eyes moved to meet Slippy's own pupils. Slippy spoke in a guiding manner hoping to finally get through to him. "We're gonna get you into a chair at the table and _finally_ get some grub in your stomach. Think you can walk if we help you over there?"

Fox's eyes fell to the ground. Moments later, he found his voice. "I can manage _walking_ on my own…" He said as he started to push himself off the ground.

" _Ohhh_ , I say _different_!" Amanda objected, moving in to help Slippy support Fox's weight. "We don't need you falling over again." When she noticed that Fox was about to give a rebuttal, she added, "Neither does _Krystal_."

That shut him up. Fox reluctantly relaxed and allowed both Slippy and Amanda to help him over to a chair at the kitchen table. Once sitting, Fox rested both his elbows on the table and buried his head in his hands.

Slippy placed a hand on Fox's shoulder. "Now I'm gonna mix up your dinner and get you some Electrolizer to drink, don't go anywhere on me." Fox gave no sign of response, but Slippy hadn't waited for one anyway.

Amanda remained at Fox's side, pullinrg up a seat next to him and contemplating if there was anything she could do to help ease his anxiety and nearly unbearable guilt. She ventured to touch and slowly rub his back, but he seemed to tense up all the more as she rubbed.

"It's not your fault." She offered as a healing comment. Amanda nearly jumped out of her skin as Fox instantaneously slammed both his fists down on the table.

" _Yes it is my fault_! _Every bit_ of her suffering is _my fault_!" Fox launched out of his chair, pointing at himself as he continued to lecture Amanda. " _Everything_ I _ever did_ put her in _harm's way_! Letting her join Star Fox led to her being in danger on our missions! Kicking her off led to her joining up with Star Wolf! Fighting that _bastard_ Panther led to her hurdling down to Venom! Now, when I actually had a chance to set things right and save her, _I GOT HER ARM BLOWN OFF_!"

Amanda jumped up and met Fox's wrath with as controlled of a demeanor as she could manage. " _You know as well as we do that you were looking out for her safety_."

It took everything Fox had to keep himself from flipping the table ahead of him. " _Did you not hear me_?! I said her _arm_ , is _fucking_ , _OBLITERATED_! How the _hell_ did _I_ _PROTECT HER_?!"

Amanda's calm failed her as her volume began to rise. "She made her own choices! She _chose_ to chase after you after you saved Dinosaur Planet! She _chose_ to join Star Wolf after you removed her from the team! And she _chose_ to put herself between you and Panther in order to save _your_ life! She _knows_ you care for her Fox; she still feels the same! She wouldn't have done what she did had she not!"

" _CARES FOR ME_?!" Fox lost control as he threw a rear-kick into the chair behind him and send it crashing into the wall about two and a half meters away. "I _SHATTERED_ HER _HEART_! You weren't there that night on the roof! Her _eyes_ … her _tears,_ _OH HER TEARS_!" Fox grasped his head, crumpling his ears as he fell to his knees and wept.

Amanda's voice caught in her throat. She had dealt with worse screaming duels in her life, but she had never seen someone so mentally affected by their own history.

Fox quietly sobbed for a moment longer before adding. "I brought her tears then, and I've brought them now. I had broken her mentally… now I've broke her _physically_ …"

Silence took control of the room as even a single breath could hardly be heard. Amanda was at a loss for words. She still wanted to help, but after what just went down she was afraid of making things worse than she already had.

…

Slippy had stood by as the silent observer. It wasn't new to him for Fox to be so hard on himself, as well as how impossible it was to change that perception. If Fox was convinced he was in the wrong, he might as well have slaughtered an entire village of innocent kits. Slippy crept over to his wife and whispered to her, "Let me talk to him for a bit; I'm sure the others are on their way if they heard any of that. Would you keep them at bay while Fox and I chat?"

Amanda seemed nervous of leaving her husband alone with Fox, but she eventually gave a light smile. "All right honey." She kissed Slippy on the forehead. "I'll be right outside in case you need me."

With that, Amanda stepped out of the kitchen and closed the door behind her.

Slippy looked down at Fox, who was still weeping on the floor with his hands clamped tightly around his skull. Slippy made his way around to and knelt in front of his childhood friend.

Fox acknowledged Slippy's presence by releasing his own head and looking up at him.

Slippy's heart broke a little at the sight of Fox's eyes. All hope was nearly gone from them; the only fire left was from a seemingly programed determination that only the ending of his life would extinguish.

Fox spoke. "I have to free her from this Slippy… I won't go on in life if I don't."

Slippy said nothing, just continued to look upon his friend with pity.

"I do not deserve a _single breath_ until she is back with Star Wolf, back with… _Panther_ …"

After a couple of seconds had gone by, Slippy gave a slight nod and patted Fox on the shoulder. "Well you can't go rescuing a damsel in distress with next to no energy. You need _food_ Fox, so why don't you go retrieve your poor chair back there and grab yourself a spot at the table. I'll throw your plate together, you're gonna love it!"

Fox breathed a pathetic laugh as a smile crept onto his face. "Thanks Slippy..." He said, another tear slipping down his cheek.

Slippy gave Fox a smile and another pat on the shoulder before hurrying back to his ingredients. "You're gonna get through this." He announced over his shoulder as he worked. He tossed the Gornt meat and broccoli on a plate together, mixed it up, then poured some tangy, bottled sauce that he had personally heated and tweaked over it all. He then walked over and placed the plate and a fork he grabbed from one of the counter drawers in front of Fox, who had forced himself back into his place at the table. Slippy grabbed the spot Amanda originally was in.

Fox gave Slippy another word of thanks before picking up his eating utensil and going to take his first bite, however the end of the fork came to a halt right outside his mouth. Fox continued to hold it there, his face portraying the struggle he was facing to bring it the rest of the way. He finally surrendered as he lowered the utensil back onto the plate, screwing his eyes shut as his head fell and hung above his dish. " _Why_ … was I such a _coward_? Why didn't I let her choose for herself when I had her?"

"Because you care for her and you wanted her safe-"

Fox took a breath to respond with, but Slippy jumped to it first. " _REGARDLESS_ , of what ended up happening; your intentions _were_ for her safety. Even if you had chosen to keep her with us, she very well could have been… you know… _hurt_ , with us; with you. It's not really possible to see the future."

Fox still didn't look back up. "…At least she would've been _happy_ …"

"We screw up sometimes." Slippy said, cracking a grin. "What matters is we do everything we can to redeem our mistakes. From what I can tell, you are doing just that! Minus one thing…"

Fox looked up at Slippy curiously, his eyes red and dry from the tears he had completely expended.

" _Eat_!" Slippy commanded.

Fox gave an embarrassed smile as he looked back down at his food. "I wish my stomach was more cooperative…"

"It's not your stomach Fox, it's your heart. For Krystal's sake, force it down; bite by bite. I think you'll find your stomach'll come to its senses."

Fox chuckled as he raised his fork and took his first bite. The food lit up his taste buds as the meat, though a bit overdone, squeezed out its juices from the pressure of Fox's teeth and mixed with the sweet, piquant sauce drizzled over it. Even the broccoli added its own wonderfully unique flavor. If only he didn't have that sickly feeling that continued to plague his emotions, this would've been a meal Fox would've thoroughly enjoyed. However, he did as his friend had told him and continued eating; bite by bite. Halfway through his dish, Fox paused again. "How do you do it?"

Slippy looked at Fox nervously curious. _Why do people keep asking me questions and expect me to know their subject?!_

Fox sensed his friend's confusion. "With Amanda… knowing each day that she could… die; by your side."

Slippy had to think for a moment before answering. "You know… it's… it's a partnership. She too faces the same thing. I very well could die by her side, has she left me?"

Fox's gut grew tight as he felt like puking; his ears resumed buzzing and his vision grew fuzzy as they had before he lost consciousness just moments ago.

Slippy caught Fox's expression and instantly wished he had said that better. "I don't mean to guilt trip you with that, _it isn't easy_! It's just…" Slippy searched for the words to keep going, yet fell at a loss.

Slippy's words brought Fox's senses back with a cold sweat, though his guilt was still unconquered. "I heard you talking with Amanda… I know it's not easy for you… but you still do it. Why couldn't _I_ … have seen it how _you do_ …?"

Slippy milled the question over in his mind. He had never really realized how inspirational his relationship with Amanda was. Now he had his close friend since they were younglings, sitting in front of him in pieces; wishing he had made the same choices as he had. _I actually always modeled the amount of passion you had for Krystal._ Slippy thought. _You treated her better than I've ever seen any male treat his mate, until she got kicked off… But even then, you did it out of love… and ultimately it was a choice that destroyed you; it's still destroying you!_ Slippy decided to revert back to the best way to handle Fox. _I can't make you forgive yourself, but I can assist you in redeeming your sins._

"I'm not an all wise one," Slippy started out, "but I'm willing to bet that holding onto your past will not help you in saving her. You made bad choices, but the only way to get her back, to safety I mean, is to stop focusing on what you did, and stay focused on what you're going to do."

Fox looked at his dish, as if to ask himself if facing his past was something he could actually do.

Upon seeing Fox's continued struggle, Slippy added, "Don't let her pain be what sinks you; let it be what _fuels you_! You may have put her there, but who _physically_ pulled that trigger?"

Slippy could hear Fox gritting his teeth behind his lips.

"And now, who is the one responsible for getting her out?" He continued.

Fox remained silent, but for Slippy his answers were clear. He dropped his tone to one that commanded a decision be made; whether verbally or mentally. "What are you gonna do?"

Fox looked up at Slippy with a savage determination. "I'm gonna do what I have to, to save her." The vicious blood lust returned in Fox's eyes, and Slippy could tell his teeth were still grit behind the tensing skin over his mouth. "Then I'm gonna _slaughter_ Andross' grandson."

…

Amanda had stood outside the door of the kitchen the entire time, waiting for either Fox or Slippy, or both, to emerge. As her husband had predicted, Falco showed up hardly fifteen seconds after Fox's outburst; ready to bust a certain head. Amanda deeply savored the sweet taste of telling him to fly back to what he was previously doing, and that she and Slippy had it under control.

Unable to cut her off like he did back when they were conversing over the comm lines, Falco was no match for her stubbornness and had to turn away grumbling, "Just wait till he goes for one of your _throats_ , you'll come crying."

Amanda's blood boiled a little at that comment. _Why do you have to assume the worst with him, you arrogant-_

Finally the door slid open and Fox darted out, headed off somewhere in the ship. Amanda felt slight relief upon seeing a flame of hope and determination in his eyes. Her relief was mixed with confusion and slight worry when she switched eyes to her husband, who was now sitting with his head in one hand looking distressed. She walked into the kitchen and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Why the long face baby?"

Slippy breathed a sigh of defeat. "Why do I even try? I knew it wasn't a good idea to try, I just… thought I was doing great!"

Amanda gave his shoulder a positive shake. "Looks like you did great to me, he bolted outta here looking ready to save Krystal two times over!"

Slippy inhaled through his teeth as he sat up straight and looked at his wife. " _Oh yeah_ , I got him hyped to save Krystal, as well as ' _slaughter Andross' grandson_ '…"

Amanda slowly released her grip on Slippy's shoulder as she turned away from him and starred towards the doorway. "I don't blame him."

"You don't get it." Slippy stated. "I mean he _legitimately_ wants to slaughter Dash. You didn't see the look in his eyes, the grit of his teeth, the snarl of his snout. He wants that ape's blood; _bad_!"

Amanda whirled around and faced her husband. Her growing sympathy for Fox pushing her towards a hostile defense. " _And who can blame him_?! You know what he did to her! Why wouldn't he?! _Wouldn't you_?!"

Slippy looked down at the grated floor. "I don't blame him, I-I wouldn't blame anyone, but this is Fox we're talking about; _well hearted_ Fox. The Fox that always seeks the absolute best solution to every situation. If he succumbs to this world of madness he's been tossed into, who is he going to come out as?"

Amanda was caught without a reply.

Slippy looked up and met her face to face. "To murder Dash in cold blood, would be to murder himself as we know him."

…

 _What are you thinking?!_ Lucy lectured herself. _He's been beaten, captured, tortured, and threatened into a world of hell, and you're wanting to spark something up?! Stupid Lucy! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ Lucy finally pulled herself out of her head enough to see where her legs had taken her; the hallway that split the Great Fox II's hanger.

The passage stretched a good one hundred meters ahead of her, matching the length of both bays, and every twenty-five meters were duly placed openings big enough to allow large crates and equipment to be passed over to the adjacent hanger. All of these openings had inactive emergency force field barricades installed in case the shields to each hanger spacecraft entrance were ever to go down. The walls to the hallway could also be drawn into the floor via the control panels in the bridge or a smaller panel in the hanger itself; this allowed larger items such as starfighters to pass between the bays. Feeling relief at seeing and hearing that it was completely empty, Lucy crossed over into the starboard side hanger and picked a spot on the outside wall of the hallway, slid to the floor, and hung her head between her knees.

 _You aren't even on his mind right now, how could you be?! The real love of his life is the one that he's been threatened with, what kind of male would he be if he had anything but rescuing her on his mind?! Stupid! Stupid Lucy!_ Then came the thought that always kept her hope burning, if only it didn't keep her confusion equally alive. _He's never kicked me off. He's looked out for me very closely and never put me in any danger greater than they each face individually, but he's also trusted me to look out for myself._

She lifted her head up as her eyes danced around to different spots on the floor, as if her mind were spread out on the ground and she was skimming through its contents. _Could that trust be something he simply doesn't have for Krystal? One that he couldn't form? Does that mean… maybe… she was more of a burden to him? He could've loved her, at one point, but maybe upon discovering her inability to adequately protect herself, she became a liability to him? Just like every other civilian in this world?_

 _Stupid Lucy! Stupid, stupid, stupid! He loves her! He's nearly gone insane over her brutal imprisonment._ Yet a certain word began to burn in her head that weakened the love factor. _Attachment. He tried to free himself of that responsibility, but his past love for her gave him an attachment that upon learning she had put herself back in danger by joining Star Wolf, he's automatically re-assumed his role as protector._

 _Maybe he wants to move on… that's why he's let me stay. It could be that he doesn't care for me, that my fate on this team doesn't matter as much to him as Krystal's did… But if that were true, then me being Peppy Hare's daughter would have still put enough weight on him to want to kick me off as well. He's not a coward though, he can accept the responsibility of a life; I'm the proof! But his attachment to Krystal is keeping him from moving on…_

The sound of approaching footsteps severed her from her thoughts. Lucy lightly hopped to her feet, pressed herself as close to the wall as she could, and listened. She heard the comer walk within a meter of the wall behind which she was hiding, but then the steps trailed off towards the port hanger. Curious to find out who it was, Lucy kneeled, laid her ears flat along the back of her head, and peeked around the corner of one of the openings.

Keeping the starboard hanger reserved for their starcraft, the portside side bay was used for storage. The only cargo the team really had was food, hygiene, and medical crates; about a month's supply at a time.

They also invested in plenty of repair parts for the vital organs of the ship. However, these took up a large amount of space in the port bay. Crates full of engine room parts, wiring and circuit boards, backup battery cells and generators, as well as stacks of panels and wire made of a strong metal alloy for emergency welding nearly covered the portside floor.

At first, Lucy had seen nothing but the cargo they stored in the opposing bay, but then Fox stepped into her sight. Lucy instantly ducked back behind the concealment of her wall, praying he hadn't seen her.

Upon hearing a crate being pried open and dug into, she crouched even lower, laid her ears back, and peered back out to observe. Out of a crate that kept him in her view, Fox had pulled about five food cans; pausing on the last can. He stared at it closely as his grip on it slowly tightened, his eyes screwed shut, and his entire body began to tense and shiver. As quickly as it had begun, Fox shook himself of it and disappeared into the cargo.

Lucy rolled back into a sitting position and laid her head against the wall a bit harder than she meant to. _Ow_ … She mouthed as she brought her head forward and gently rubbed the back of it. _Love or attachment…?_ She asked herself as she began to analyze what she'd seen. _Either way, he'd had a thought that brought him pain; immense pain…_ Lucy recalled the veins she had noticed bulging through the skin and fur on his neck alongside the muscles that defined it. She felt a little foolish, but she couldn't help allowing sights like that to feed her attraction to him.

The image of him standing in his boxer briefs flashed back in her head, followed by his completely bare state before. She blushed and immediately tried to erase them, but they had already left their imprint. Her mind traced over Fox's lean, well defined body. Even in his usual clothing that he currently wore, certain routine movements he made gave hints of the muscles sculpted into his frame. Fox was never a gym addict, from what she knew of him, but she did catch him indulging himself in mission based training, calisthenics, and running whenever time permitted; and everyone on Star Fox knew that he routinely kept his eating habits as healthy and natural as the team's budget and storage capabilities would allow.

Lucy's ears picked up Fox walking back out of the collection of crates. She looked back around the corner in the same low-to-the-ground way she had before and watched. Fox stepped out of sight for a moment, but came back carrying a fully automatic laser rifle. He made a few adjustments to the switches and bolts on the rifle, then entered a power cell. Lucy gazed admirably at him, aweing over his confident and knowledgeable actions. _You always look like such a soldier._

Afterwards, Fox raised the blaster into a firm firing position and fired at the roof of the hanger. Lucy could tell by the sound the shot made upon contact that it was simply a stun blast. The team never trained using full powered laser shots while in the Great Fox.

Suddenly his head turned towards her and Lucy darted back into cover; tensing with terror and praying she made it in time. _Please don't check, please don't check, please don't ch-_ She heard his approaching footsteps. _No-no-no-no-no-no-no!_ She noted the Sky Claw three meters from her and instincts took over. Light as a feather she darted to its wing, leapt, reached, grabbed, and pulled herself upon it; laying flat without a sound. She heard his footsteps reach where she had been and halt. She could nearly sense his tense gaze scan over the hanger. All she could do was hold her breath and wait.

Eternity passed, then silently she exhaled with great relief as his footsteps departed back to where he came. After moments more went by without his return, she crept across the wing to the dismount ladder on the craft. Once back on the ground, she returned to her wall and listened. Her ears picked up his lungs taking and releasing a deep breath before shouting, "Firing!" Then his footsteps took off into the crates.

Lucy fell back to her sitting position as his blaster fire brought her rest. _You are a soldier! Just look at your sense of awareness and security…_ She thought with grateful humor. Fox himself refused to claim to be one of the best fighters known to the universe, but Lucy wished he could see what she did; it was her most passionate admiration of him. _You have bravery, you have mental and physical strength, and you put them both into your determination! It's your greatest quality, but also your greatest weakness… You've created this allegiance to Krystal that you cannot break, you're determined to see her safety through to the end, even if it means trading the galaxy for her!_

The hope inside herself began to grow with excitement. _What if you were shown another way…? That someone else cares for you like she did, someone you can put trust in. Someone you could love without having to babysit. What choice would you make?_ Lucy heard Fox curse himself at a poor shot he had taken. Pity mixed with her emotions. _What are you doing Fox? You're going to kill yourself over this…_

Her heart began to race with disbelief that she was actually considering telling him. _This is stupid Lucy! If you're wrong, you could lose any respect that he possibly has for you, he could begin to HATE you! The entire group would consider you crazy, self-absorbed, and selfish! You might just buy your own ticket back home teaching astrophysics again…_

Lucy shuttered at that thought. _How quickly you forget, there was a point Fox had refused to be responsible for you…_

Before she had taken up teaching, she too had chased the dream of a pilot; taking volunteer classes at the Cornerian Flight Academy and from her father. Once a confident fighter pilot, she reached out to the Star Fox team and attempted to join; Fox instantly shut her request down.

Lucy had been blown away at first, though she later learned from her father that Fox was currently undergoing great strife under just having let go another female pilot he was terrified of losing to Star Fox's dangerous career. Calming her frustrations with understanding, and refusing to serve under a military contract or any other rag-tag merc' group, Lucy surrendered and pursued another passion; astrophysics. She already knew plenty about the field through her own childhood research and additional knowledge gained while learning in-space flight and navigation; so it didn't take long for her to land a respectable position as a professor at a university on Fitchina.

Lucy had enjoyed teaching about the nature of the vast amounts stars and planets to others, watching their eyes light up daily at the glory they held; but nothing could compare to experiencing that glory in person. Being surrounded by the bright, vibrant colors and shapes of each individual piece of the galaxy was nothing short of a dream; a dream that she was finally able to live out through Star Fox.

Upon an attempted siege of Fitchina by the Anglars during the Anglar Blitz, Lucy had instantly stepped up to the fight along the Cornerian Military and the arriving Star Fox team. They were victorious, and after assertively rallying with Star Fox back in the Great Fox II's hanger, Lucy made a second attempt to join their ranks. Fox finally admitted her potential, and Lucy was now free to take flight alongside them and the infinite amount of stars the galaxy held.

It was an addiction, her first love. She couldn't go back to that university, not after what she'd gotten a taste of.

 _But if I'm right…_ her pulse grew faster. _Could I… Would he… bring an end to all this before it begins?_ Lucy looked back around the corner, her ears focusing back on the blasts that Fox continued to emit from his rifle. _Could we actually… be together?_ The sounds were slightly muffled through the blood that was now violently pumping through her ears. Her head spun as the veins in her wrists and chest began to noticeably pulse under her skin. _I have to try… if there's any chance I have of saving him, I have to try!_

Her decision was made. She slowly rose to her feet, building the energy she needed to fight the tightness in her throat in order to announce a cease fire. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth.

"Entering the hanger!"

Lucy's eyes grew wide as her entire body stopped beating. She quickly slammed herself back against the wall she used as her concealment. Once she resumed breathing she crouched and peered back around into the passageway to see who had beat her to the announcement.

….

"Entering the hanger!" Falco bellowed as he casually walked down the hallway that split the Great Fox's hanger into two bays. He strolled down to the second set of openings and turned towards the one on the port side. Out of the maze of crates and materials stepped Fox, carrying a fully automatic laser rifle in a patrol ready position.

"How much time ya got left?" Falco asked as he came to a halt.

"Three hours, fifty-eight minutes." Fox answered without even checking the watch he had been given.

Falco observed that the watch wasn't even on his wrist. "And what are you up to right now?"

"Target practice and maneuvers. You need something?"

Falco shrugged in his care free manner. "Just checkin' up on ya."

"I'm fine. Now please either leave or stay right where you are so that you don't end up getting stunned." With that Fox turned and headed back into the cargo. He had sounded more earnest and stressed than irritated.

 _Someone's pumped full of anxiety._ Falco thought with condolence as he followed Fox; snatching a mango from one of the crates and indulging with a bite."All these drills are gonna end up exhausting you before your actual task;" He commented as he chewed. "You already need rest from what you previously went through."

Fox gave no response, he just continued through the vast setup of assorted crates; stopping at every cluster of two to three vegetable and/or soup cans he found on the floor to set them back on top of the metal box or boxes nearest to them.

 _Yeah, that's what I'd say too._ Falco swallowed and smirked, simultaneously assessing the cans to have come from the ship's kitchen or one of the food crates here in the bay. He searched for a new way to investigate Fox's head. "So… your watch: complements of Bowman?"

"It was on my wrist when I woke up." Fox said shortly. He had stopped at another couple of cans but only set one of them up on a crate, leaving the second standing up right on the ground as he continued on.

 _Now you're starting to sound testy…_ Falco thought, but decided to keep prodding anyway."Woke up?" He nonchalantly asked, taking another bite of his fruit. He caught Fox's muscles tense at his continued questioning.

"After Dash made his wishes clear to me, his crony put me under. Next thing I knew, I woke up in my fighter on some empty plain on Venom, with the watch on my wrist." With all the cans back in their intended place, Fox started to head back towards the perimeter of the 'cargo city'.

Falco swallowed. "Who's the crony? A surviving member of Dash's military?"

Fox stopped and closed as eyes as he breathed an irritated sigh. " _It doesn't matter_." He said sternly. He opened his eyes and resumed walking. "None of it matters…" He added as his tone calmed.

Falco gave another collected shrug as he followed. "Sorry, just tryin' to get a background to your situation here;" He snatched another bite. "Look at the details and help you formulate a plan." By the time he finished both he and Fox were back where they started.

"My plan..." Fox slightly shuffled his feet in place, his back was still to Falco. "I've been thinking it through over and over ever since I woke up on Venom, and my task has been left as such a mystery that I have no idea who I'm meeting, where I'm meeting, where he or she will be taking me and what the heck it is I have to steal." Fox looked down at his weapon and began to check various settings on it. "My only guess is it's going to be something high tech, so it's most likely going to be locked away in a secure facility inside an already heavily guarded section of the base."

Fox turned towards Falco, but his attention was directed towards different areas as he spoke his mind, as if visualizing his words. "Fly in? Better say a prayer before you challenge their countless surface to air defense systems. Don't even get me started on the Landmaster, they'd have us surrounded in seconds."

Fox removed his supporting hand from his rifle to accompany his speech with gestures. "On foot? Maybe, but I won't be able to sneak _any_ weapons in there; they'll scan me head to toe. Even if I did make it all the way to the package without any trouble, there's absolutely no way I could get it out. Even if the item was small and concealable, the scanners would pick it up underneath my clothing; that's _if_ it wasn't rigged from the start with an alarm that will go off when touched."

"I guess I could try to steal a guard's weapon, fight past the rest of them as well as any sentry turrets, security fields, and Lylat knows what else; but I'm no special ops soldier. I know moderate level infantry tactics at best. I'll be going up against countless highly trained soldiers who run close range combat drills in their spare time."

Fox looked at Falco as a glint of hope appeared in his eyes. "The _sewers_ were the final thing I considered. I've been having R.O.B. search the Cornerian data base for any structural information on Katina he can find." He nodded in the direction one would have to head to reach the Great Fox II's bridge.

Fox continued. "The few files he's found that would be of use are classified. Now granted he can covertly hack into them, I might just have a way; but only if time will allow. If my contact on the ground isn't willing to provide me an exact 'address'-" Fox performed the quotation symbols with the fingers on his free hand, "of where it is I need to go, then that plan is dead in the water. There'd be no time to cross reference the entire planet's surface layout with the layout of the tunnels." Fox's gaze fell towards the ground. "If I made an error or a wrong turn, Krystal would be good as dead."

Fox looked back at Falco. "My _plan_ , is to meet with this contact and hope to the powers above me that he or she has something in mind. Dash could hardly contain his excitement in telling me how he had it planned from the start to use me for this. He knows something, something that's going to allow me to get him that equipment."

Falco stared at Fox. "Take a moment and catch your breath." He teased.

Fox turned away from Falco and towards the community of steel boxes, lifting his rifle again to make sure it was loaded. Afterwards he slowly lowered it, and a few moments past in complete silence. Finally, he spoke again. "I have one shot to save her, Falco. I don't have time for a second chance. Corneria's gotten word of the uprising involving Venom and the rest of their response force is on its way. Bowman and his crony have plans to hold them off, but they can't hold out forever. Whatever path I take on Katina has to work, or she dies."

With that, Fox tucked the weapon into his shoulder, kneeled to a low crouch position, and darted into the maze of crates. "Firing!" He shouted as he disappeared.

Falco directed his eyes to the floor. _And by death, you mean absolute mutilation. What the hell kind of universe is this? It's not just a good ol' shot to the head anymore. Either way, what we're about to do is absolutely insane! No one deserves to go out like that, but we're still talking one life versus trillions! But I'm probably blowing it out of the water, he'll just enslave us all once he's been named King of Lylat._

Falco blew out a long, dramatic exhale before biting back into his fruit, continuing his train of thought. Then with the slicking back of the feathers on his head, he swallowed and muttered, " _Hell_ , I guess we can try to take back what we stole after she's safe." Another bite and a shrug. "If not, I've never had an issue with running from the law before."

"I'm going to kill him." Fox spoke with menacing sincerity as he came back out of his combat range.

Falco had nearly jumped. _Either you're fast, or I was in my head for longer than I thought. Deeper than I thought too…_ He hadn't heard a single shot.

Fox was looking him dead in the eye. "I'll die with him if that's what it takes, but I _will_ kill him."

Falco stopped chewing, studying Fox closely. _Damn…_ The soul hungry tone of Fox's voice sent a chill up his spine. _You aren't bluffing._

Before either of them could think any further, R.O.B.'s voice came over the ship's intercom. "STATUS REPORT, THE FILES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY DOWNLOADED AND ARE READY FOR VIEW. WE ARE ALSO APPROACHING KATINA, ETA TEN MINUTES."

Fox switched the safety back on, unloaded the rifle, and set both the rifle and cartridge back in the crate from which he pulled it. "Guess practice is over…" His voice became low and dismal, as if the weight of what was about to be attempted just hit him. Fox turned around and headed towards the hallway that would lead him to the bridge. "You coming?" He asked Falco over his shoulder.

Falco swallowed and started off after him. "You kidding? You ain't leaving me behind in this gray, dreary place." He tossed the small remainder of his mango off in the distance.

"Really?" Fox commented playfully over his shoulder, though Falco knew it was far from playful.

"You know it; I always loosen up whenever you're too occupied with somethin else."

…...

Lucy listened to the teasing banter between the two sets of footsteps fade into the distance; leaving her in silence. She looked around at the gray, rusted steel walls that towered over her from all sides. _Darn it Falco, why'd you have to say that?!_ She replayed the whole conversation in her head, recalling the passion in Fox's voice when he spoke of Krystal. Her attention was drawn back to the walls. Their tall presence suddenly felt damning, as if they were burning her with a fiery stare.

 _You are being so selfish! Why are you so concerned about where Fox's heart is when lives are at stake?!_ The answer came instantly. _Because he could lose his life to this. If there's any chance I could talk him out of this madness… What if you're wrong Lucy?_ Lucy sounded a frustrated grunt as she grabbed both her ears, one in each hand, and yanked them down the sides of her head. The pain felt nothing less than deserving; it ignited a headache that her indecisiveness fueled without sparing. She shut her eyes tightly and prayed. _What do I do? Am I just to sit back and wait this out? Let him go and hope he survives?!_ Her hands dropped to her sides as her ears slowly rose to their natural position. She sat still for minutes on end until she reached a conclusion. _You'll wait. Maybe the task will provide him an answer so I won't have too. Katina's forces should only capture him at worst._

She felt sick to her stomach at the thought of what that would result in. She knew Krystal only through short confrontations with her via Star Fox's interactions with Star Wolf, primarily during the Anglar Blitz, but the fate that awaited the blue vixen was one that not even the darkest of souls deserved. The only thing that slightly eased Lucy's nausea was Falco's logic of trading one life for billions. _But what about Fox? Her death will kill him right alongside her, how much of himself would he lose? Could his mind be repaired from that burden? If I'm wrong, if he does truly love Krystal, he'd be lost forever._

Lucy stood up and began to make her way over to the large force field that separated the Great Fox hanger from the vacuum of space. _But if I'm right, we could pull him out of it. We could save him, and then I'd confess._ Her heart began racing along with the stars that appeared to dart away from the large vessel as it traveled to Katina. She felt she was diving into her own world of madness. _Am I hoping for a fantasy? Or could this be real?_ Lucy closed her eyes and bowed her head. _I'll wait. One way or another his future will be set, and whichever way it heads will determine my chances._

 _What if he makes it? What if he obtains what he's after and escapes Katina? He'll go after her. He'll return to Venom where his chances of survival are even slimmer._ Lucy had every doubt in her mind that Dash would just let Fox and/or Krystal walk away. _Am I just going to let him walk to the guillotine without trying? Without saying a word? Would it matter if I did? Would I appear the selfish, coldhearted dunce? Or would I open his eyes to the chance of a life of freedom? A life where he no longer had to play protector?_

Lucy gave a light, drawn out sigh. _It's a gamble Lucy, there's no denying it. Is the chance worth your position on this team and the respect you have from its members?_ Lucy opened her eyes and looked back out towards the never-ending amount of stars the Great Fox barreled past as it drew close to its destination. _It won't be long until I find out._

…

"These _could work_ ; I just wish we knew _where_ you were going..." Slippy said as he anxiously continued to scan the three-dimensional map of Katina's sewer system layout over and over.

Fox turned away from the cylindrical holographic table the map was projected from, looking out the bridge's observation window toward the desert planet that was their destination; watching it increase in size as they drew closer. He began to feel his fear creep up his spine, stimulating every hair on his back to stand. Fortunately, through determination, he was able to keep his tail from fluffing. "We can't even _land_ until I know where I'm supposed to meet my liaison."

Falco was leaning against the control panel that stretched out from the steel wall right underneath the glass of the observation window; hardly a couple meters from Fox. "You could always try the visitor center." He commented with a cool smirk, arms folded, and eyes lazily shut; as if he were napping.

Fox showed no reaction to Falco's sarcasm. He only responded, "I might _have to_ if no one contacts me soon."

Falco glanced at Fox, then chuckled as he looked over at the 3D map of Katina's sewer system.

Slippy and R.O.B. were continuously scanning over the hundreds of sections that could be accessed from inside any high security portion of the planet, then tracing the underground tunnels to any area that could be used as an extraction point. Slippy announced his next fact. "We'd also have to worry about flooding, over half of these tunnels are going to be filled with water; which is going to make an escape even more difficult..."

"And a dead end would be a dead end in more ways than one…" Fox mumbled. His fear spiked; causing his pupils to expand as the fur all over his body rippled from the chilling wave that swept through his body. He could come up with all the plans and alternative options that the mind could comprehend; he could gear up with the best uniform, weapons, and gadgets ever designed; he could train till he dropped, educating himself in every area of combat that would prove useful; but none of it would matter if the mission were to end in failure. _Krystal would suffer… suffer slowly until her body shut down from the unbearable torment, torment that I brought upon her!_ Fox tensed, which brought back a sudden soreness in his lower left jaw. He lifted his left hand to it and slowly massaged it. Fox had felt it before while he was eating Slippy's dish; the chewing was what first brought his attention to the stressed area. _Probably from one of the blows I took from that lion…_

"But where there's a problem," Slippy continued. "There's a solution. It's still sketchy, this whole operation is! But once at your destination, _if_ we were to find you a good tunnel to slip into, and _if_ we could find an entry point to that same tunnel from an isolated location, we could use Amanda's Tadpole to retrieve you!"

Fox ran it through his mind. Just like every other idea, it had the potential to succeed, but it had the same potential to fail. There was no sure-fire way through this. All Fox could do was choose, dive in head first, and pray that he would surface. _Please…_ He internally begged. _Please, for her sake, let me fix this. You've taken both my parents away from me, please don't take her! It's my fault she's there! You can have me once she's safe, but let me end her pain!_ Rarely in his life had Fox turned to prayer. His life had taught him that when bad things happen, you can either sit, wait, and pray for something that may not deliver, or you can adapt to your struggles and keep moving. However, when prayer was the only thing left to do, even Fox would fall on his knees and beg for the allegiance of the powers above him.

Falco groaned lightly as he stood up and let his arms fall to his sides. "How long exactly are you going to wait for this guy?"

Fox's gaze fell to the floor as he closed his eyes. "I don't know… let's go ahead and make contact with Katina security and ask for permission to land."

Falco looked at Fox with a bored expression. "And what reason for our visit are we going to give them that you expect to be believed?"

Fox looked back towards the planet. "That we're headed to the _freaking visitor center_." He answered, expressionless.

Falco chuckled as he leaned back up against the control panel, grasping the edge to both sides of him with his hands for extra support. "This will be interesting."

"SHALL I MAKE CONTACT?" R.O.B inquired.

Fox sighed through his nose. "Go ahead..."

Everyone fell silent while R.O.B. began to input the commands into the keypad embedded in the holographic table to send a call out to Katina. The 3D map of the sewer lines disintegrated and was replace by a model of Katina. The model had a one-meter radius and a flashing red dot marked the exact location the team was reaching out to. The table sounded a light, repeating beeping noise that indicated that connection had not yet been made. Around seven seconds passed before the planet switched out with the upper portion of a uniformed black bear that looked as if he snacked at his work station all day and only stood up to relieve himself or go home. "Identify yourself." The bear ordered.

Fox turned around and faced the hologram. "This is Fox McCloud, leader of Star Fox."

The bear shifted his eyes toward something ground-ward; pecking could be heard as if he were typing away at a keyboard. "I have you here McCloud, state your business."

"Requesting permission to… dock…" _What the heck am I gonna say?!_

"I'm going to need a _where_ and _why_."

Fox could tell the bear was easily getting agitated. Fox blanked, giving a quick glance at Falco who just mouthed, 'visitor center', with a wide, teasing grin.

 _C'mon Fox, think of something!_ Fox drew a quick inhale. "We're headed to one of your main docks to-"

"Wait, wait…" The bear interrupted. "Your identification has a notification uploaded to it that has orders for you… to head to the main intelligence headquarters in the thirty second quadrant of Katina. It says you are to dock at that exact harbor and… await security to board and search out your vessel for any active threats. Uhhh… once you're cleared, you and a Slippy Toad will be escorted through the security gate that surrounds the headquarters and lead to the entrance where you will rendezvous with a Captain Dalles. He will inform you further from there... Any questions?"

Relief gave Fox his breath, put panic stole it right back. On one side he sent up a thank you for the first part of his prayer being answered, but on the other side he was gravely alarmed that not only was his presence requested, but Slippy's as well. The mission had just become more complicated. Fox now had to worry about getting his best friend out alive along with himself. _Damn it Dash!_ He fought hard to keep himself composed. _How dare you go and drag one more member of my family into this!_ Fox looked over at Slippy who appeared just as flabbergasted.

" _Hello_?" The bear asked irritably.

Fox pipped up. " _No_. No, we… we understand. We're on our way to the thirty second quadrant. Have a great rest of your day."

"Thank you." The bear said, his voice making it all too obvious of his relief to finally be off the call. He faded from the table, and the blue lighting fell dark.

Falco was the first to speak. " _How_ the _hell_ does a blob like that keep his position in the military?" His face looked as if he were actually giving the matter a little thought as he continued to stare, disgusted, at the holographic table where the bear once had been.

Fox nor Slippy even heard him. The two simply locked their deeply surprised eyes.

 _This isn't happening…_ Fox thought as he intensely analyzed what he was just told; over and over in his head.

"Well…" Slippy said with a nervous smile, breaking the momentary silence. "I g-guess I've always wanted to s-see the inside of the universe's int-telligence capitol…"

The previously caring Amanda for Fox and his situation, instantly turned on him. "I don't care what the orders are, he's _not_ coming with you! You aren't dragging him into this!"

Fox didn't put up even the slightest fight. "You're right, he's… he's not going to be put at risk for my mistakes." _Just… what happens if Dash doesn't like that he's not with me? What happens to Krystal?!_

Slippy jumped in. "Honey, I'm n- _not_ letting him go in alone! If they are g-giving me permission to ac-company-"

Amanda cut him off. "I don't want to hear it Slippy, he _doesn't need you_! He will figure it out on his own!" She glared over at Fox. " _You will_ figure it out on your own."

Fox felt more guilt than fear from her, and simply nodded as he looked down toward the ground. _I'm sorry Krystal…_

For one of the rare times in his life, Slippy snapped. He hopped on top of the holographic table to gain a height advantage on his wife, and spoke with an attention-grabbing sternness. "My _dear water lily_ , I've tolerated your controlling temper nearly our whole marriage, and will continue to tolerate it, but _not today_! _Today_ , I am going with my friend into that headquarters! That's not his decision, that's not Dash's decision, that is _my_ decision!"

Amanda filled with rage at her husband's defiance and appeared to make an attempt to retaliate, but after a few seconds of silence, her expression fell depressed as she turned and quickly departed down the stairs.

Slippy went to chase after her.

"Slippy!" Fox called.

Slippy stopped and looked back at Fox.

"Stay here with her. I'm the one who put Krystal there, I'm the one who's getting her out. If this put you in your grave…"

Slippy smiled at Fox like he was acting ridiculous. "You aren't getting rid of me, besides, I just stood up to my wife! There's _no_ turning back now."

Fox didn't return the humor. "That wasn't an offer Slippy; that was an _order._ "

Slippy gave a final rebuttal before continuing on after Amanda. "Can't you see? I'm not following orders today, captain."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Time slowed as the lion watched the searing laser-shot burn into the admiral's lower core; a very familiar pain beginning to flare in his own abdomen. A second ghostly blast filled his ears and sent him hurdling back to the port-side door of a Cornerian JMR-A (Joint Multi Role Aircraft): a helicopter built for troop transportation and aerial assault, with aerodynamics smooth as a bullet.

A dome helmeted Rottweiler in a grey flight suit had offered his hand from the port-side doorway of the helicopter. The canine had assisted Guardian Five into the aircraft and stepped to the side as a second air crewmale, an Alaskan Husky who had stood a couple meters away from the opening, pulled the trigger of his laser pistol before the lion's eyes could adjust to the dark interior of the aircraft. Guardian five grasped his wound as he felt the hands of the Rottweiler, placed on his chest and left shoulder, push him towards the back of the helicopter while the dog's leg swept under his own, placing the lion flat on his back. Guardian five lay dazed and beyond disbelief, yet he knew exactly what was happening.

Suddenly the lion was thrown back farther to the roof he'd scoped from that day, overwatching the target building he'd verbally mapped out with Guardian ten. Upon receiving word that Hotel had silenced all the outer alarms, Guardian five had kicked off the mission by taking out the guards in the south gate towers of the perimeter wall and at least two pairs of guards loitering in the courtyard; whilst Guardian ten cleared out his gate towers and the rest of the guards on her end. All shots were muffled by the weapon's build, allowing the bodies to drop dead before the surrounding guards and workers could piece together what was going on.

Once all guards had dropped, Guardian five asked. "Clear on your end ten?"

"None alive, five. Hotel, part the seas."

"Copy, parting the seas." Responded the female voice of Hotel.

Instantaneously, the two towering south gate doors opened into the courtyard. As soon as the gates opened, a blue SUHC (Sports utility hover-craft) that had been previously driving close-by on the steel highway outside the south gate darted inside; pulling behind a large cargo container that provided cover from the target building. The instant it came to a halt, five urban dressed animals, consisting of a White-Tailed Eagle, a Desert Ram, a Brown Poodle, a Chihuahua, and an Irish Setter stepped out of the SUHC. Each animal carried a single blaster rifle with a holographic site, a flashlight, and a supporting barrel grip.

The team began moving toward the structure, keeping their weapons trained on any moving workers and ordering them to drop to the ground. The doors closed back up as they quickly crossed the courtyard and took cover behind various shipping crates near the building's entrance, upon receiving word that more guards were on the way out. Two lines of laser fire sprayed from the building's third floor through its windows, followed shortly after by bursts of laser and plasma fire from the building's south bay entry.

Guardian five took out the two attackers on the third floor whilst the infil team tossed three electrifying grenades into the bay entry. Once they went off, the team proceeded into the building; reporting two more guards KIA, three more still active. From there the Guardians could only sit and wait, listening to the status reports of the infil team as they proceeded.

The list of enemy KIA steadily grew as the team climbed first thirteen floors in search of their primary target. As the team transitioned to the fourteenth floor, Guardian five observed a window panel shatter on the twenty fourth floor of the target building. He angled his rifle to get a closer look at the panel, and observed a black rat standing calmly, hands clasped behind his back. The rat was clothed in black dress shoes, tan cargo pants, a short sleeve jade green button up shirt, and a red beret he wore lazily on his head.

Guardian five instantly hopped on the comm line. "Be advised, we've got our HVT (high value target) on the twenty fourth floor of the target building."

The male voice of the Setter in the infil team instantly replied, "Roger Guardian five. All right Suite, let's make a hustle to the stairs. Keep your guard up. For Lylat's sake, _do not_ get sloppy!"

"What the hell is he doing up there…?" Guardian ten thought aloud over the comm.

Guardian five kept his rifle trained on the rat, who continued to stand at the building's edge. Off in the distance Guardian five could hear the whirring of an approaching helicopter. His eyes shifted from his scope toward the sound and saw an unidentified private helicopter headed toward the HVT. "We've got one helo possibly headed toward the target building."

The Setter responded, but not with what Guardian five was expecting. "This place is lined with bombs! The elevator shafts are full of them!"

Shock struck Guardian five at the report.

Guardian ten took communications. "Get out of there Suite, rappel from the nearest windows you can find!"

Upon regaining control of himself, Guardian five switched his eyes back to the HVT. An ice-cold chill ran down Guardian five's spine; the rat was looking right at him.

A dark, scratchy voice came over the comm line as the rat's mouthed its words. "Every one of you is right where I want you." The approaching helicopter slowed to a hover right in front of the HVT, blocking him from Guardian five's sight.

The voice continued, "We will be meeting very soon, _Guardians_."

As the helicopter pulled away, the HVT was gone.

Guardian five was quick to give a status report. "Geming is escaping in a private heli, _orders_?!"

Hotel answered. "Don't shoot the helo, the crash could harm civilians and then this whole operation would be…"

The voice was drowned out by what came next. A loud explosion sounded off from the target building, and every window that scaled its sides shattered, the steel shredded, and the building collapsed as if it was sinking into the ground; with a thick cloud of dust building at its foundation. As the entire structure sank completely into the cloud, a second explosion went off and sent the debris cloud tearing through the perimeter walls; sending the steel walls smashing through nearby hover crafts and into the surrounding buildings; followed by the concussion wave filled with fire, dust, and debris particles that spread like a wave through the surrounding area; further ripping into the structural bases in its range. The entire building Guardian five resided on shook from the assault. He struggled to hop to his feet as a horrific thought came to his mind. He got back on the comm line. "Guardian ten, what's your status?!"

Guardian ten's voice was filled with urgency. "There right behind-… _GAAAAH_!"

The chill in his spine proceeded to enwrap his entire body. Suddenly, his ears picked up on the door that he had come out of sliding open. The lion turned, drawing his pistol as he did, and saw a security guard wearing an identical uniform to the ones in Geming's compound stumbling out of its opening. Before the guard could even raise her own rifle, Guardian five had sent a laser blast into her chest cavity and leapt into a fresh bed of vegetation; laying as low as possible. The plants were too dense to see through, but Guardian five heard around an additional five guards enter the room.

"Were the fuck did he go?!" One of them said.

" _We should get out of here man_ …" A second, terrified voice replied. "This entire structure might _come down!"_

"That'd be a less painful death than what we'd face if we returned to Geming without the Guardian, _find him_!"

Using as little movement necessary, Guardian five undid his shock pellet pouch and grasped about six of them.

"He's in the plants somewhere, get low and just start shooting."

With a strong flick of his wrist, Guardian five sent the pellets flying over the vegetation toward the voices; which instantly erupted in alarm.

" _What the fuck_?! What was- _GAAAHHH_!" Multiple of the guard voices cried out in pain as the electricity burst from the pellets and rendered their targets defenseless.

The lion rose to a crouch just enough to see who he had affected. Four guards stood locked in a tormented stance as electricity continued to zip around their bodies. Guardian five shot all four down in just under three seconds, instantly diving into a fresh patch of vegetation.

Back in the prone, he began to listen for the next set of movement; it was then he tuned into the urgent chatter from Hotel going on in his earpiece. "Guardian five, guardian ten, do I have a read from either of you, over?!"

Keeping movement at a minimum, the lion began utilizing a small button on his earpiece to send a pattern of clicks over the comm line.

Hotel instantly responded. "We read you Guardian five, status active, requesting extraction from assigned post. A helo is on its way, ETA thirty seconds. Please confirm the traded information and list your surrounding threat level on a scale of one to three."

Guardian five's ears picked up on boots crunching down plants to his two o'clock, and responded by tossing more shock pellets in the direction. One voice shouted out in agony, which was silenced hardly two seconds later by a shot from the lion's pistol. This time Guardian five remained where he was and laid flat on the ground motionless, waiting for any retaliation fire; none came. The lion let his mouth hang agape, taking in the surrounding scents; his mouth curved into a smile.

Hotel came on again. "Guardian five, did you copy my last?"

Guardian five remembered his extraction request and began responding with clicks. _Information: Confirmed. Threat level: zero._ The lion sheathed his blaster and began slowly crawling around to flank his remaining prey.

"Copy confirmation and threat level, though… invalid." Humor leaked through her added comment. "ETA on helo, ten seconds."

Guardian five could smell the close proximity of his target. _I just need five._ The lion could see the guard now, a rugged buffalo, crouched and slowly stepping through the vegetation. All of Guardian five's muscles tensed in preparation and excitement; nothing thrilled him more than being able to use his natural weapons when killing his prey. _Now!_ The guard didn't even have time to completely face toward the lion before he was slammed to the ground with eight large claws embedded in his upper back muscles, and four fangs accompanied by countless other teeth snapped his neck vertebrae from the pressure of the bite. The buffalo instantaneously ceased movement, and Guardian five gently released his teeth and claws from the guard's flesh; feeling a rush that he hadn't felt in a long time as he licked his teeth and chops clean of the animal's blood. _Live for the hunt, live for nothing but the hunt._ It was short lived however, as he quickly remembered the unknown state of Guardian ten.

Guardian five stood and turned toward the window panel he had been sniping from, observing a news chopper hovering right outside of it; with another identical security guard standing in its personnel hold. The guard appeared fearfully dumbfounded, and not a second later a police force labeled JMR-A flew up and stopped right in front of it; a voice boasting from its loudspeaker, informing the news chopper to vacate the premises. The security guard instantly closed the sliding door for the personnel hold as the news chopper ascended and took off from the area toward the sea to the north.

Guardian five's heart began to race. As he began running toward his sniper rifle, the entire building resumed violently shaking, then entered a slight free fall as the structure's base snapped and the building shortened by approximately four meters.

Guardian five was forced to the ground as the building landed. The assaulted side of the structure came down faster, and the entire building began to tip toward the bomb's origin point.

Guardian five's heart rate heightened further. He got to his feet as fast as he could, working to keep his balance with the slanting floor, then made a mad dash toward his sniper rifle as it began sliding toward the descending side of the building. He reached for it as he approached the window, but it was just out of his arm length. Refusing to lose his rifle and leave evidence of his presence in the rubble, the lion dove toward the sniper, grasping it in his hands as he smashed through a window panel adjacent to the side of the building.

The instant he felt himself plummeting toward the ground, he rotated himself toward the JMR-A, drew his pistol with his supporting hand, keeping a firm grasp on his sniper rifle, and launched grappling beam toward the JMR-A. The magnet at the end of the beam attached to the forward port side of the aircraft, bringing him to a vicious stop. His entire arm felt as if it had been snapped in two, but he held his grip as the beam began to quickly bring him to the up to the JMR-A as the massive building he had been in seconds ago passed him by only a couple meters and crashed into the ground; nearly disintegrating into it. A young Rottweiler had been standing in the bird's port side door and offered out his hand. "That was _badass_ bro!"

Guardian five handed the dog his rifle, which the Rottweiler set aside in the aircraft before helping the lion inside the helicopter. "We need to follow that news chopper _now_! They're going to know what happened to Guardian ten!" Guardian five ordered loud enough to be heard over the whirring of the JMR-A blades.

"I wouldn't worry about her…" The dog replied grimly.

Before Guardian five could question the air crewmale further, he was pulled into the aircraft and shot in his lower abdomen by the second crewmale. Before pushing him to the ground, the Rottweiler pulled the Guardian's pistol from his hand.

The Rottweiler then turned on the husky. " _What the hell are you thinking_?! You were supposed to _stun him_!"

"I… I thought-thought it was set-" The husky fought hard to get his sentence out.

"Well get the _fuck_ over there and get him _sedated_!" The Rottweiler barked as he shoved the husky toward the Guardian and turned to close the side-door.

Guardian five swiftly reached for one of his ballistic knives attached to his right shoulder blade. Ripping it off, he aimed it straight at the husky who was just looking up from adjusting his fire selector; releasing the blade and sending it right between the husky's eyes.

The Rottweiler turned toward him as he heard the body crumple to the floor and was met by three hundred fifty pounds of muscle plowing into him.

Guardian five smashed the dog up against the front wall of the JMR-A troop and cargo hold, fighting the pain of his wound the entire way, then removed the crewmale's helmet and threw a powerful right hook into the dog's temple; tossing his stunned body into the port side corner of the hold. The lion retrieved his pistol before opening the door that led to the cockpit, finding two pilots sitting inside. Guardian five put the pistol to back of the primary pilot's neck before the pilot could even acknowledge his presence. "The news chopper you scared off, find it and follow it! I don't want to kill you, but I will not murder one of my partners by leaving them behind. If that's your intention, you and the rest of this _damn government_ can go to _hell_!"

Without even offering a verbal response, the primary pilot sent the JMR-A into an aggressive spin to throw the Guardian to the rear of the aircraft; but the lion had managed to take and keep a firm hold on the door way of the cockpit. As the secondary pilot went to draw his own pistol, Guardian five aimed at him and put him down; then proceeded to pull himself back into the cockpit by the arm he had grasping its entry way. As he had the primary pilot in view, the pilot threw an elbow toward the Guardian's face. The lion took the hit unphased, raised the blaster at the pilot's head, and ended his life.

Re-sheathing his pistol, he reached up and grabbed the control wheel with his free hand, trying to regain control of the aircraft, but in vain. The JMR-A crashed into a nearby structure, and Guardian five was yanked back into the troop/cargo hold by the force of the collision; getting knocked from the memory as he had been knocked unconscious from the impact.

The lion's eyes cleared, and saw Admiral Shepherd on his knees, bent over from his wound; from deceit. 

The lieutenant put away the laser pistol he had used to take the shot, as he looked at Shepherd with a dominant pride.

Shepherd had a hand on his wound and one on the floor, trying to keep himself from falling to his side. He looked back up at the lieutenant with an intent to kill. " _Why_?!" He uttered in a low, deep growl.

The hunter interjected. "He's not the only one who's going to stand against his government this day."

Shepherd shifted his murderous, teeth bared glare over to the predator.

The lion stood his ground, unphased. "On your feet."

"Why not just _kill me_?!" The admiral asked spitefully.

" _On, your, feet_." The hunter repeated.

Keeping his eyes locked on the predator, Shepherd drew his lips together before painfully rolling from his forefoot to his heels so that his knees lifted from the floor and his feet were planted flat on the ground underneath him, then he struggled to stand up as he fought past the fiery sting of his wound.

The lion held the stare. "I take life when ordered to, in self-defense, or to complete an objective." He tossed the admiral a set of solid gel cuffs with a flat, round, metal circle that contained the figure eight intersection of the gel wire. "You control whether you put yourself under either of my last two reasons."

Shepherd gave no acknowledgement, but by judging his character the lion didn't need it.

Shepherd looked down at the cuffs and started to slip his right hand through one of the loops.

"Behind your back" The hunter ordered.

Shepherd's eyes looked back up at the lion, his expression unchanged, before turning around and slipping both his hands through the gel loops. Once each cuff was around his wrist, the loops tightened by reeling the excess wire into the circle that divided the two cuffs. Shepherd faced and returned his glare to the predator.

The predator stared back, unaffected. "I advise you _not_ to try and break out of those." Once the lion saw Shepherds responseless understanding, he walked over toward where his sniper rifle lay from when he was trapped between the two shields. He knelt down and picked up the rifle, giving it a quick inspection. _Still so strong, so resilient._ He thought, pleased to see the rifle had taken no discernable damage. Once finished, he stood up, carrying his rifle in a patrol ready position, and looked over at the lieutenant. "Lead the way."

….

The arrival to Katina had gone as smooth as Fox could hope for. Star Fox traveled down into the planet's atmosphere toward the thirty second quadrant until they arrived at the harbor containing their assigned bay. The harbor easily reached a thousand meters into the sky, held floor measurements of around a hundred square meters, and was surrounded by identical hangers as well as facilities, compounds, and other structures; all varying in shape and size. The area looked as dense and widespread as one of Corneria's capital cities.

R.O.B aligned the Great Fox II along its bay in the harbor wall and waited for the magnetic technology to pull the vessel in so he could gently land the Great Fox on the bay floor. Once in place, R.O.B entered the command to extend the Great Fox's hanger bay ramps out to the ground.

Fox, Lucy, Amanda, and Slippy were met by a security officer: a female Cocker Spaniel, and two additional armed male dog security guards at the foot of the ramp. The female guard stood straight with an imperious manner as she announced, "Welcome to Katina, we will be your escorts to your destination. Prior to our departure, we will need to check your vessel for security violations. I'm sure this has already been explained to you?"

Fox nodded. _Whatever it takes to get a move on…_

"Then standby and my guards will make this as quick as possible." With that, the spaniel gestured to her guards to begin the walkthrough of the Great Fox.

While the search was underway, Slippy took time to calm and assure the currently worrisome Amanda that he would be coming right back.

Fox watched his dearest friend comfort his wife on the bay floor, fearing for what the future held. Suddenly the soreness in his jaw spiked to a sting. Fox pressed his palm into the area as he turned away from Slippy and Amanda's sight, voicing a short moan of discomfort. _I don't remember blows hurting this bad, could he have fractured something?_ Fox massaged the area, trying to feel for anything abnormal. _Doesn't even feel swollen…_ He noticed the pain coming from inside his mouth as well, right in the same spot underneath his gums. The sting slowly subsided, and Fox observed Lucy slowly approaching him with her arms folded nervously.

"Everything okay Fox?" She asked in her usual, caring way.

Fox nodded, dropping his hand from his jaw. "Nothing that can't be ignored."

Lucy gave a soft smile and looked down toward the ground. "You uh…," She looked back up at him, her smile turning slightly adventurous. "You ready for all this?"

Fox looked off toward a steel roadway that ran through the interior of each harbor floor, in between all the bays, allowing for hovercraft transportation to pick-up or drop-off any loading or offloading personnel or cargo. He eyed a specific white hover-van that was stationed right outside their own bay. "I have to be."

He felt a slight jab at his left arm followed by Lucy's playful tone. "Come on, you gotta be more positive than that."

Fox knew she was just trying to lighten the mood, but few knew how impossible that was for him in times like these. Fox simply looked down and replied. "Were it so easy."

Before Lucy could say anything further, the security officers exited the Great Fox and gave the all clear.

"All right," The female security officer barked out, "Fox McCloud and Slippy Toad, come with me. The rest of you are free to explore as you please; as long as you stay out of unauthorized areas. _Let's go_."

Fox looked back at Lucy. "Remember the plan." He said with a quick nod at her before following their escort.

"Fox."

He turned back toward Lucy to see her walk toward him with haste; quickly embracing him in a tight hug once she reached him.

"I don't know what's going to happen, but thank you for everything; accepting me, training me, and always doing your best to protect me." She whispered to him as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

Fox was taken back. He always had difficulty taking complements or appreciation, and those words echoed from the voice of another. "…You… belong with Star Fox even more so than I do." Was his distant reply as he awkwardly returned her embrace.

"No." Lucy let him go when she felt him release her, looking up into his eyes as they parted. "Star Fox won't exist if you don't return; please come back."

Fox forced a smile for her as he started walking toward the Cocker Spaniel. "I promise to give it my all." His eyes shifted and caught sight of Slippy giving a final kiss to his still hesitant wife before joining Fox at his side.

"All right, here we go Fox!" Slippy announced, sounding as enthusiastic as he usually tried to be.

Fox could hardly even muster up a smile for his childhood friend. "I've gotta admit: for Krystal's sake, I'm glad you're coming." He answered, keeping his voice low enough to avoid the guards tuning in.

Slippy grinned, replying in the same hushed volume. "Of course, I'm always up to help save a damsel in distress!"

Fox glanced over at him, "For yours and mine sake however, you'd better freakin come back."

Slippy didn't even seem phased. "We've got this."

Fox looked back ahead. _We'd better…_

Upon being led to the white hover-van Fox had observed, he and Slippy got in opposing sides of the vehicle's mid-section seating while the Cocker Spaniel got in the front passenger seat. The driver was a shaved, English Sheepdog who didn't acknowledge either of them, but only released the vehicles parking lock and pulled back on its joystick between the driver and passenger seat to get the hover-van moving forward toward their destination. The sheepdog drove the car up to a large steel door that eventually split open to reveal a large elevator for ascending and descending vehicles. The sheepdog proceeded to pull into the vast steel box and parked in an open, marked spot. The elevator took them to the ground level where the hover-van exited the harbor and began navigating the streets that carved through all the other harbors and structures that filled the surrounding area.

Fox had been taking in every detail of their route as he possibly could in case his sewer escape was to fall through; yet the more he took in, the more hopeless he felt. Like Venom, he had only flown above Katina's surface a handful of times. _Please let those sewers work!_

They reached the outskirts of the city within ten minutes. Fox checked the time on his VDT; he had started a timer with the identical amount of time left on his watch so that he didn't have to wear two wrist devices, though he kept the watch in an inner pocket on his down vest. _Three hours, five minutes. Two hours until I need to be out of here with the package…_ The time seemed enough, but Fox was terrified of its mysterious habit of ticking away before one's very eyes.

Once out of the city, Katina was dominated by dry savanna to both sides of road, interrupted by a lone compound every few hundred kilometers. The more their time in the hover-van increased, the more Fox had to check himself from either tapping his foot, fiddling with his hands, or gritting his teeth behind his lips. Lucy's words of thanks kept running through his head, but the haunting voice that spoke them still didn't belong to her. The words transformed into the voice's own as they looped, until it sounded as if the speaker were whispering right into his ear. ' _Thank you for everything. Accepting me for who I am, training me, and just… always being there, for me.'_ Fox closed his eyes, watching the images of the suffering he had witnessed and the sight of her fall from the hotel; ever assaulting him with the fear of what was to come. _I never deserved you… I am so… so sorry Krystal…_

….

As much as Shepherd wanted to attribute his pounding heart to rage, he knew too well he'd only be fooling himself; he was afraid. Not of the intruder that trailed three meters behind him, keeping close watch over him in case he decided to run. Not of death, something he had face many times and learned to place in the back of his mind. Neither of these affected him in the least; Shepherd feared his soldiers. _Who else under my command wouldn't hesitate to aim a blaster at me and pull the trigger?_

He watched the lieutenant he followed behind, leading him down the halls that were once his domain. _How long have I been leading animals that were eagerly waiting for this day to come?_

Regardless of his inner turmoil, Shepherd kept his expression cold and concealed. They would not see his weakness; the intruder had already come too close to exploiting one of them. The sight of the CSC IRT between the two force fields burned in Shepherd's head. _Enough._ His conscience shouted as he erased the thought. _You will not weaken yourself grieving for something you cannot change._

The trio reached the elevator that would take them up to the bridge. A pair of convex steel doors separated to reveal a cylindrical, white lit room large enough to contain four tall beings.

"Admiral, face me." Shepherd heard the intruder command as the lieutenant stepped in and to the side of the elevator.

 _Admiral..._ Shepherd mentally laughed at the word as he did as the intruder commanded, only to be met with a power frontward kick right to his blast wound. The crushing, twisting sensation from his internal organs came flooding back with a fiery vengeance. He stumbled backward onto the lift floor, fell on his knees, and then toppled over to his left side; curling himself tightly around his injury. Shepherd could hardly contain a fit of whimpering and growling as the struck wound continued to torment his entire core. A chill ran through him when he tasted blood in his throat. _Not good._

…

The lion paid no more attention to Shepherd as he stepped over the admiral's tensely curled body and stood aside the lieutenant. The elevator doors closed behind him and with his command, the lift began its ascent to the bridge.

"Let me give him the next blow, eh?" The lieutenant asked as he maliciously glanced at Shepherd. "I've been wanting to show this bastard what a pain in the ass he's be-"

The lieutenant was silenced be the lion's right hand wrapping around his throat and slamming him up against the lift wall. The predator proceeded to hit the lift's stop button with the barrel of his sniper, bringing the elevator to a smooth halt. The beagle's eyes grew wide with terror as the hunter's hand tightened and began to crush his windpipe. The mask's red eyes drew close to his own.

"There is more to why I kicked him than you know; this all serves a purpose." The lion released the beagle, who struggled to gasp in all the air he could. "You are to drag him in, toss him in the view of all who used to follow him, then take your place back by my side." The predator stated as he turned back toward the lift doors and spoke the order for the elevator to resume movement.

The voice in the hunter's ear returned. "Warning, two more CSC IRF members are awaiting four levels below the bridge and are looking to stop the lift and ambush you.

"You have control of the entire ship?" The lion asked, irritation leaking through his voice.

"That is correct."

"And are there turrets outside the lift on that level?"

"Two are on standby with the IRF members."

"Then there shouldn't be a problem."

"I have not been programed to make decisions, only to report data according to my-"

The predator closed his eyes, attempting to contain his frustration. " _Counter_ their commands; keep us headed to the bridge, and _kill both_ IRT soldiers with _whatever turrets_ you have available."

The voice made no attempt to conceal its pleasure. "See how easy things are when we all follow our directives."

The lion said nothing as the lift began to slow to a halt. _This is it…_ He thought as a vengeful excitement came over him. He lifted his rifle to examine it once more, tracing over all the nicks he had personally carved. _Today, we bring death to the government that reaps lives with lies._

…...

Private Lory, a short cut Aussie, nervously stared at a screen loaded with commands that had all been denied.

A Black Lab walked up behind him and observed the same. "Talk to me Lory!"

"I've tried every code in the book ma'am. I've attempted bypassing certain security protocols, manually accessing assets; it's like a virus has been put in our system."

A voice shouted out from the other control pit in the bridge. "Stop those turrets now! What the fu-, _NO_! _Kill the ships power_!"

Different voices from the other control panel rows in both Lory's pit and the adjacent pit begin shouting.

"We've tried cutting the power, nothing's going through!"

"Why is that elevator still on its way here?!"

"Both IRT members are down chief!"

"Someone check the turrets in here _fucking now_!"

"Soldiers in pit one, row one and pit two, row one, grab your rifles and surround the elevator doors! Everyone else, remain at your stations and get us control of our ship!"

Lory's nerves rocketed as he realized his row was called. His mind fell into disarray as he grabbed his sub-blaster rifle and began making his way down his row, heading toward the ramp that led to the mid-room walkway. _Fuck, this was never supposed to happen! I'm not supposed to be holding this! This is for infantry!_ He reached the top of the ramp and proceeded down the four-meter-wide walkway that ran between the two pits and ended at the elevator.

A black Chihuahua master chief, the same dog that gave the order to converge on the lift doors, hollered again as he paced the walkway; nearly bumping into the few soldiers who were making their way to the elevator. "Why are the rest of the two rows I called still sitting down as if I've said _nothing_?! Move it _runts_! Yes, today you _actually_ have to stand up and _fire_ a _weapon_ in the _military_!"

Lory glanced back and saw that nearly half the soldiers called in both pits still remained at their stations.

The master chief exploded in fury. " _WHAT THE FUCK_!? We have a highly dangerous individual and a _traitor_ on their way, _MOVE_!"

Four meters from the elevator door, private Lory stopped in his tracks and looked again toward the pits. He studied the faces of each animal left behind, coming to a chilling realization. _They aren't afraid… they're waiting for something…_

Suddenly, Lory heard the turrets activate directly above him. He looked back at the elevator doors in time to witness the ones who did report get shredded by a pair of heavy, rapid fire laser shots.

Another voice yelled out. "SHIT! _Take them out_!"

Lory felt himself going numb as blasts from all around him shot at the turrets. Quick as lightning, the turrets whipped around to each target that returned fire and either eternally silenced them, wounded them, or forced them to take cover. Lory was overcome by a powerful nausea and vomited where he stood. His legs then failed him and he fell to the floor; head spinning and ears buzzing beyond control. He could no longer hear it, but everything around him had fallen silent as the elevator arrived at the bridge.

….

The elevator doors split open and the lion took in the vast, open control room covered by a dome of large window panels. The second pair of turrets he had ordered the AI to activate hung parallel to each other from the asteroid resistant glass, about four meters out. The hunter's eyes proceeded to scan down a fifteen-meter walkway that divided two half circle control pits that looked three meters deep and held a radius of seven meters. Each pit held four rows of control panels that ran with the curved end of the circle. His eyes switched to the soldiers in the bridge. Every occupant was either crouching or laying still with their eyes on the arrivals, or lay wounded or lifeless on the ground. A group of five mutilated bodies lay about two meters from the lift entrance, in a slowly increasing pool of blood; a sixth lay crumpled and shaking about four meters out.

The predator glanced at the lieutenant and gave him a nod.

The lieutenant acknowledged the order by leaning down and grabbing Shepherd by the collar of his dress uniform, dragging him off the elevator and down the walkway.

The hunter followed about a meter behind them, eying the soldiers all around him, and stepping over the dead. The one dog he observed lying on the walkway had quickly pushed himself to the starboard side of the path in horror when the admiral being drug by the lieutenant had passed by. Without stopping, the lion gave the Aussie an additional shove with his boot, sending the dog crashing down with a yelp into the adjacent pit. The trio reached the center of the walkway and, as instructed, the lieutenant released Shepherd and took his place beside the predator.

The lion walked over to where Shepherd lay, still curled around his wound. _Perfect._ The hunter thought pleasantly. Using his foot, the predator rolled the admiral onto his back, receiving the same spiteful glare from him; except this time Shepherd's eyes irritably questioned him.

The hunter smiled menacingly behind his mask. Immediately afterwards, the lion lifted his right foot in the air and sent the heel of his boot smashing into the admiral's wound. The predator held it there and began to twist and drive his heel as deep as he could into the admiral's abdomen, finally drawing a howl of torment from Shepherd.

Multiple soldiers drew their weapons and aimed at the intruder, but the turrets were on them the second they had reached for their blasters; taking a few more souls and sending the rest ducking back into cover.

The lion looked up from Shepherd and began to study the faces of his audience. Several expressions were already informing him which ones would be joining him, and which ones would be executed. _Our part in this is nearly completed, my angel._ He thought with pride. _The rest is up to McCloud._

…..

 _Slow down!_ Fox yelled at himself as he, once again, had to steady his pace to match that of Slippy; let alone stay behind the female security officer who was leading them to captain Dalles.

The ride to the headquarters was the most agonizing time he'd ever had to endure. Every second that ticked away felt like a pin being stabbed in his gut. Upon their arrival, Fox had nearly leapt out of the vehicle in angst to get to the entry. Slippy and the female patrol officer joined him outside the hover-van, and the three of them headed off toward the gate in the perimeter fence surrounding the Katina Military Intelligence Headquarters.

The perimeter was marked by a two-level electromagnetic fence that stretched nearly out of sight in both directions. The panels between each post burned a fiery red and gave off a monotone hum that warned off any who dared approach. Directly behind the panels was an iron barred barrier that stood just as tall and acted as a backup perimeter barricade in the event of either a power outage or electrical failure. The gate looked the same as the panels discounting two neighboring door frames the field overlaid. Parallel steel walls stretched out from each side of the doorways, enforcing strict control of traffic flow.

To both sides of the gate, placed at a distance of approximately thirty meters each, were in-ground, concrete fortified bunkers; Fox hadn't even seen them until they had nearly passed them. The dry, tan grass kept any grounded, low silhouette defenses well hidden. Even after spotting the bunkers, the only internal aspects Fox could make out through the observation openings of each were the dark outline of what seemed to be an automatic turret and the moving bodies of at least two soldiers that were posted there.

Fox looked back up at the gate they were almost to. Additional turrets were posted on each side of the gate as well as in a pair of thin steel towers that rose above the perimeter fence, with a guard sharing the space in each one. Behind this arsenal packed wall lay a two level, three hundred square-meter building in its center. _That must be it…_ Fox thought.

Over his shoulder, Fox suddenly tuned into the heavy breathing of Slippy, who was practically jogging to keep up with him. _Damn it Fox, slow down!_ Fox thought, cursing himself again.

Slippy's voice didn't show any signs of irritation. "If it weren't for all the defenses, one wouldn't believe that this is the structure that holds all the dirty secrets of Lylat, ay Fox?" He huffed out as he caught up.

Fox returned to studying the structure. Other than its sheer size, the military intelligence headquarters of Lylat had nothing unique to offer. No custom architecture, no assigned insignias, nothing that made the structure stand out from any other on the planet. _Except for its defenses..._ Fox awoke back in the endless battle with the fear of his failure. _Those sewers have to work… There's no other way…_ Fox screwed his eyes shut and tilted his head as if someone had just assaulted his face with sand. _It will work! I will get out with whatever the hell Dash wants, and I will save you Krystal! I hope you can hear me; I will save you!_

"Fox?"

Fox snapped his eyes open and looked over at Slippy.

Slippy looked curiously at him. "Did you hear me?"

"Yeah." Fox gave him a weak smile. "I guess… they don't want to bring to much attention to it."

"With these levels of weaponry and strategic defense, no one would be able to _get in_ any way!"

 _Or out._ Fox thought with another shiver. He forced himself to keep repeating his previous thoughts. _I will save you Krystal, you will not suffer in vain!_

Slippy turned his attention to the guard leading them inside. "Do any of your turrets have long range capabilities?"

"Katina's facilities are all completely equipped with up-to-date tech and weaponry." Was the spaniel's short reply.

Slippy caught the hint and fell silent.

Fox resumed taking mental notes of his surroundings. The trio reached the gate and the guard first entered between the walls leading to the entry, followed by Fox, then Slippy. Fox studied the walls to both sides of him, noticing multiple symmetrically placed panels in the steel that could either be removed or slid open.

The guard came to a halt half a meter from the glowing red doorway. "Stand back." She ordered.

Fox took a step back, accidentally bumping into Slippy who grunted in surprise. "Sorry, you okay?"

"Been through worse in an Arwing." Slippy replied with a smile.

Fox returned half a smile, finding both comfort and angst in his friend's positive attitude. Memories flashed through his mind of the two of them goofing off as kids on playgrounds and sandboxes, reading comics, playing with toys and video games, and staying up late to swap scary stories. The day Fox's father died, the Toad's took him in for the rest of his high school education, treating him like one of their own; Slippy became his brother that day. _Even if I save her, I've good as lost her. What happens if I lose you too…?_

" _Hey_!"

Fox snapped back to reality, realizing that the female officer had already stepped through and was impatiently waiting on the other side.

A second guard, the one who barked, stood on the other side of the transparent barrier. "If you're done daydreaming, please step in front of the force field, angle your arms along your sides and distanced from your body."

Fox hurriedly complied. His body began to heat up, feeling foolish for getting distracted. _Again!_ He also felt a familiar irritation having to do with the loss of respect for Star Fox since his spoken offense against Venom's restoration. _Even though I was right!_ His thoughts turned sarcastic. _Wait, no I wasn't. Because it was the grandfather and great uncle's fault! Bad blood line… and the people there just fell under his corrupt rule!_

Fox stood as ordered as a blue, holographic panel shot forth from both walls and began to horizontally scan the sides of his body from head to boot. The panel completed two full sweeps, then Fox was ordered to turn toward one of the walls; so his entire front and back side could also be scanned. Once done, the second guard listed off the discovered items that Fox needed to remove from his person before entry could be granted. For Fox, only his wrist VDT needed to be removed and handed over; he had already prepared for the equipment strip by leaving his blaster and any other item that could be considered a weapon at the Great Fox.

Once Fox removed his VDT, one of the steel panels closest to the red field opened, revealing a large compartment to place the requested items in. Fox surrendered his VDT, the panel closed, and the red field in front of him dissipated. He was directed to step through and follow the long hall till it opened back up to the courtyard between them and the headquarters. Fox did as commanded as he looked to the building ahead of them; estimating about a three-hundred-meter walk to the entrance. Slippy joined them shortly after, and the three continued on down a widespread cement pathway to the structure ahead.

"They take anything from you?" Fox asked.

"My lucky wrench…" Slippy replied, gloomily.

" _What_?!" Fox asked, displaying shock for his friend.

Slippy began to fume. "They're so strict at these places…"

Fox smiled and gave Slippy a soft pat on the back as he resumed scanning his surroundings. The dry grass that bordered the pathway and covered the landscape surrounded them and the headquarters in an ocean that rolled like waves in the wind, occasionally exposing more symmetrically placed bunkers in both fields; each containing its own defenses. Fox exhaled anxiously through his nostrils as he looked up to a dismal, ivy green sky that stretched up from the landscape and peered down upon him. The breeze carried a chill that went straight through him, taking any warmth his body had stored up; the place felt dooming. _You're going to do this, you're both going to make it_. Fox swallowed, discovering through discomfort that his mouth and throat were completely parched. He also was reminded of the endless sting in his jaw; he could feel it increasing to a burning sensation. _You're alright Fox, just a weird bruise…_

The walk to the headquarters' entrance felt like an arwing's cruising speed. Fox constantly had to remind himself to slow down, stay with Slippy and behind the Cocker Spaniel. It took about two minutes to reach the entrance to the compound. Two sets of double doors stood side by side, the glass in them was tinted so it was impossible to see into the building from the outside. More glass panels of identical size to the doors were placed on the entire front side of the building's first and second floors, about two-meters distance between each other and in a checkered pattern.

Fox swallowed as the guard held one of the doors open for himself and Slippy to step inside. _Closer now…_ Fox thought, feeling both comfort and angst; he was growing sick of all these mixed emotions. He glanced down at his VDT and was reminded that he had handed it over at the gate. He proceeded to take the wrist watch given to him by Dash out of his pocket and strap it to his wrist; glancing at its listed time. _Two hours, forty minutes._ Fox instantly lost his comfort. _Less than two hours to sneak the package out of here… Lylat, someone, help me! HELP HER!_

Fox and Slippy stepped into a plain, rectangular room with commercial hard floors and white walls stamped with the Cornerian emblem. Across the room from the entry doors were four more solid steel doors spread along the wall with about a half-meter spacing between each. On the left side of each door was a silver rectangular panel containing a small red button with a red or green lit bulb of the same size above the button; above the light was four small parallel vents. Once the security officer had entered after Fox and Slippy, she proceeded to one of the doors with a green light, pressed and held down the button. Fox took a moment to better observe the room in which they stood, spotting a black glass dome in the center of the ceiling. _Three-sixty-degree security camera…_

"Zulu-one-seven." The cocker spaniel spoke into the vent before releasing the button. The statement drew Fox's eyes back to the door as it popped ajar. The security officer opened the door the rest of the way and gestured for Slippy and Fox to step inside. Fox and Slippy complied and transferred into a room made of steel floors and walls, with steel benches lining the sides of the room. On the other end of the room was a short passage occupied by a middle aged, plump white mouse, about a decimeter shorter than Fox, in a black suit and solid silver tie. Fox heard the guard close the door behind them and turned his head to see her step back into one of the room corners.

He turned his attention back to the mouse as it spoke, "McCloud, step forward."

Fox approached the mouse and stopped a couple meters from him.

"Arms away from your sides." The male mouse ordered, completely monotone.

Fox complied, and the mouse walked up to him and began to pat him down, top to bottom.

"Step to the back of the room." The mouse said after he had checked every inch of Fox's person; including his tail.

Fox complied and took up residence not far from the diligently watchful security officer.

"Toad, step forward." The mouse ordered.

Slippy hurriedly reported to the mouse and threw his arms up before the mouse could even ask it of him. The mouse shook his head slightly, releasing a quiet, annoyed sigh as he began to pat Slippy down in the same manner as he did Fox.

Once Slippy cleared the inspection, the mouse gave him and Fox a quick glance. "Come with me." He stated as he turned and headed toward the passage he had come from. At the end of the short passage was another steel door with a panel of an identical set up as the room's entry door; minus the light. The mouse held down the button and said, "Basil" into the vent. After a brief moment, the door popped ajar and the mouse led them into a large, open office area with cubicles spread throughout.

Directly ahead of Fox, Slippy, and the mouse was a cleared space with a 'U' shaped wooden desk at its center; manned with two lobbyists. To both sides of the desk were two rows of padded chairs; seated in one of them was a Dalmatian in a black-coat, blue-trouser dress uniform. The Dalmatian had been focused on a black tablet he held in his hand before looking up and smiling at the sight of his guests.

"Welcome!" The black spotted dog brightly announced as he rose to his feet and made his way over toward the group, slipping the tablet into his inner dress coat pocket. He approached Fox first and offered a handshake as an additional greeting. "I'm captain Dalles. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. McCloud."

The last two words out of Dalles mouth nearly caused Fox to freeze up. Dash's voice burned in his ears as memories of Fox's reencounter with the primate flashed through his head; all of them displaying the ape's long, sinister grin. Fox managed to shake himself of the attack as he took the captain's hand and responded without emotion. "Fox is fine."

"Then Fox it is." The captain replied with a light-hearted smile as he turned to Slippy. "And Mr. Toad, correct?"

Slippy returned Dalles' handshake eagerly, matching the smile. "It's been a thrill to finally set foot in such a facility."

"Oh, you've seen nothing yet, that's exactly why we requested you come with Fox; an intellect such as yours will prove very useful in the analysis we need."

Slippy beamed with pride, like a youngling that was given a huge complement.

Fox only felt more unease. _I really hope this is all an act…_ He had zoned out during Slippy's response, but a clap from the captain's hands brought him back to the world.

"Well, we've got a load to do and not much time to do it, so if we're all ready?" He waited until he got a hesitant nod of confirmation from Fox and an enthusiastic one from Slippy before looking over toward the mouse that had let them in. "Ralph, keep looking _outstanding_."

The mouse just waived his hand at the captain in a brushing motion with an unamused groan as he turned and headed toward one of the chairs near the lobby desk.

Dalles grinned at his successful teasing as he turned and began a trek down one of the cubicle aisles. "Follow me please." He called out.

Fox and Slippy glanced at each other, and Fox gestured for Slippy to take the lead. Slippy smiled. "Didn't think we'd run into someone like him, ay Fox?" He asked as he took off after the Dalmatian.

"I'm not so sure it's a good thing that we did…" Fox said distantly as he followed after Slippy, glancing over his own shoulder as he walked. Ralph had taken a seat and pulled a puzzle book out of his blazer, and the security officer that had escorted them to the headquarters was nowhere to be seen. _Might not have even entered the lobby with us; no sense worrying about it either way…_ He thought as he looked passed Slippy down at Dalles. _I'm now with my contact, hopefully, and he's leading me to what I've got to take. Oh Lylat, PLEASE LET THIS WORK!_

The ever-increasing anxiety inside of Fox was beginning to cause him to sweat. He looked down at his watch again, almost ten minutes had passed. Something different in him suddenly kicked in. _You've assessed every option, you've trained all you could._ He looked up at Slippy ahead of him. _You had a whole team with you to think of what you couldn't._ His eyes switched to Dalles. _You're here, you're ready, and you're willing._ Fox's expression began to give birth to determination, finding real confidence again. _There isn't anything stopping you. You have the strongest piece of motivation backing you, and you won't stop fighting for her until a laser sears through your very soul._

The trio had made it out of the cubicles and were now traveling down long, flat carpeted, empty walled halls. The place had been fairly populated so far. Each cubicle had contained at least one business dressed worker, and Fox, Slippy, and Dalles passed an animal or two headed the opposite direction every ten to twenty seconds. After turning another corner, an lift was in sight; about twenty meters out. Fox glared at it as if it were the very enemy he had come to face. _You won't stop fighting, and you will win._

The group reached the lift, and Dalles hit the call button for the vessel. "Have either of you been briefed on why you're here?"

Fox shook his head while Slippy spoke. "Not a word."

The captain chuckled. "Doesn't surprise me, no one ever communicates… It's only the military, right? Not like passing information between soldiers wins wars or anything."

The lift doors slid open and the trio stepped in. The steel box was large enough to fit at least twenty people.

"Big as it seems," Captain Dalles said, gesturing to the lift. "when shift-change comes around, it takes an entire hour to get everyone in and out of this place. You've really got to love your job to work here." Dalles placed his hand on a scanner that replaced the usual level controls. The system recognized his prints and brought up a screen with the five sections to choose from. Dalles selected section two, and the screen brought up ten more sub-sections, from which Dalles selected sub-section seven.

The lift instantaneously began a very rapid decent to what Fox guessed was going to be the twenty seventh level. _Definitely won't take long to get there._ He mentally griped, feeling a little shaken at the unexpected drop.

"Why don't they just add more lifts?" Slippy asked, continuing the Dalmatian's previous conversation effort.

"We've got plenty from the second level down, more than necessary; but," Dalles raised his index finger in the air, changing his voice as if to mock someone. "It's a security risk to have more than one entrance and/or exit to ground level" The captain dropped his finger and returned his voice to normal. "So, we have to deal with one decent sized lift. But now to business; an unclassified brief of your purpose here." Dalles eyed Fox. "You and your team have some of the best up close and personal experiences with past technology from our enemies. Recent intel from various planets show a rise in updated technology from foreign sources. This new technology has a high amount of similarities to past tech that the Cornerian military and Star Fox alike has dealt with. All we need you and Slippy to do is confirm or deny all of our assessments on the older equipment that we have stored here, see if you can bring anything new to the table, before we start setting things in stone."

Fox had folded his arms half way through the captain's explanation. By the end of it, Fox's eyebrows were raised indignantly. _Great job Dash, you actually took the time to come up with a full-on pile of Nerf-shit for why we're here. Now at least I don't have to worry about looking suspicious on record…_

Dalles didn't watch Fox for a verbal response; his gaze slowly traveled back to the doors they all faced.

A small shiver traveled through Fox. _Or is that your way of telling me that what I'm taking is a piece of past equipment?_ Fox's confusion awoke his anger. _What the heck do you need with antiques that you wanted me to steal Bowman?! Why the hell kind of game do you have me playing?!_

The lift slowly came to a halt, and the vessel doors opened to a long, wide, glossy white hallway. No windows, furnishings, or designs of any kind could be seen. Only doors hardly two-meters wide were placed in various places along the walls, indicating an entry to a room. The group stepped off the lift and began walking to their destination. There weren't any animals in the halls of level twenty-seven. The only movement the trio observed was a single soldier exiting a door they were headed towards, but he soon disappeared through another door further down the passage.

Slippy had asked Dalles something about the equipment, to which the captain was contently answering, but Fox had blurred out all of it during his own observations; he was looking for anything that would indicate access to the sewage tunnels. _Nothing._

Fox began studying each door they passed. Placed on the right side, mid-section of each door frame was a small, square, black bordered hand print scanner. The doors themselves were labeled only by a letter followed by two numbers; indented into each door with black ink. _One of these doors leads to the outer tunnels, but there's no way I'm finding that out by trial and error._

"How does anyone keep their sanity in this place?" Fox heard Slippy ask, "I feel like I'm in an endless padded room…"

Dalles didn't even have to answer Slippy's question verbally. As the trio rounded another corner, he merely pointed to a large, lengthy rectangular window that revealed a twenty-square-meter courtyard with lifelike trees, bushes, flowers, brick paths, fountains, and benches; all lit by artificial sunlight lamps. "The military's attempt to give us mental relief from our work. There's at least one on every level. It changes from day to night with Katina's atmosphere.

Slippy stared at the area a moment longer, then looked over at Fox. "I take it all back. Don't care what gadgets and gizmos are here, I'd want nothing to do with this place!"

Fox could hardly display even half a smile for his friend. _I wish my reasons for hating this place were that simple…_ Fox briefly closed his eyes to calm himself. _There's a way, it will come. We're getting out of here._

Dalles continued his conversation with Slippy. "Hey, at night we even have little stars that light up, so it's not all bad." He said, showing no effort to hide the sarcasm in his voice. Suddenly and unexpectedly, Dalles came to a halt outside of D23. "Almost missed it." He said humorously.

Fox took a deep breath in then slowly released it as Dalles placed his hand on the scanner. _Whatever it is I'm taking, please let it be small._

The door swiftly slid open, and the lights in the room were automatically powered on. Before the groups eyes was a seven-meter-wide, ten-meter-long chamber that extended up to the twenty sixth level; the room was similar to a small hanger. In the center of one half of the chamber was a large, solid examination table, and on the other half of the room were labeled crates and safes containing whatever equipment was stored in the room. Extending down from the ceiling over the table were three large, round lights, and over the cargo was a three-limbed crane large enough to pick up the various sized crates and materials. On both walls lining the table and the cargo were a set of stairs starting at the cargo and leading up to a balcony that extended from the wall lining only the table, with a door placed at the center of the balcony.

Fox's gut grew tight as he stepped into the room, immersed in trying to decipher what it was he had to steal. Dalles hadn't said a word further since they entered and had disappeared into one of the isles kept clear for maneuvering through the cargo.

Fox felt Slippy's hand placed on his back. "Stay calm Fox." Fox heard Slippy say.

Fox looked over at his friend. _Guess I haven't done the best at hiding my anxiety._

Slippy gave a reassuring, adventurous smile. "We're gonna get through this, we always do."

Fox found himself returning the smile. "You're right." He looked back over at captain Dalles as he was just exiting the cargo, carrying a small, metal, black box in his hand. _We are going to save you Krystal._

Dalles continued past Fox and Slippy over to the observation table, gently placing the box on its surface. From underneath the table top he pulled out a drawer. From the drawer he pulled a small first aid kit and an electric razor; setting each item down next to the box. From the first aid kit Dalles drew a scalpel and two latex gloves, applying each one to his hands.

Fox calmly stared at the four objects, but inside he felt a very strong sense of doom; the burning in his jaw slowly increased beyond the stable point he had been able to ignore. He looked back up at the Dalmatian, who stared back at him with an equally calm demeanor. Fox stepped toward and cautiously reached for the black box.

"Wait, Mr. McCloud." Dalles ordered.

Fox nearly cringed as he halted in place, his hand decimeters from the object that held Krystal's salvation. _There it is, that damn title!_ Fox's eyes shifted back up at Dalles; his impatience was slowly rising.

Dalles turned from Fox and Slippy, walking over to a panel placed in the wall that held the balcony. He input a few commands before dropping his hand and looking back at Fox. An audible, steady, mellow beep was heard from speakers placed somewhere in the ceiling. Again and again it sounded, threatening to end Fox's self-control as his sweat began to dampen his fur. Suddenly it stopped, and after a few seconds of agonizing silence, a voice spoke out that Fox couldn't feel more split on hearing.

"Congratulations Mr. McCloud, you are about to make history as the mercenary that brought about the eternal rule of Andross' blood line."

Every nerve in Fox's body twitched in utter torment from Dash's voice. He fists clenched tight, nails digging deep into his palm as he fought the urge to scream all forms of obscene phrases at the primate.

An additional light shone forth from the ceiling to Fox's left, and at its end stood the blue, holographic form of Bowman; grinning as maliciously as when Fox first saw him on Venom. Fox nearly lunged at the figure, ready to rip it to shreds. _My time will come._ He thought, forcing himself to stay put. _I promise you, you will know the other side of hell._

Fox's anxiety spiked as Dash walked right up to him. "It pains me to say you're running a _bit_ short on time. I _hope_ you've planned for a quick escape."

Fox showed no fear as he held Bowman's eyes. "Just show me what you want, and I'll be on my way."

Dash's expression turned mischievously inquisitive. "Don't you want to see her first?"

Fox's knees nearly buckled, his throat dried up, his eyes widened, and his pupils expanded as an all too familiar wave of emotions washed over him.

Dash merely watched Fox undergo the attack, his smile growing all the wider. He stepped back away from Fox and gestured to his left side, away from the table. Another blue light activated, and Krystal's body generated in the exact spot Bowman had motioned at, about three meters away from Fox and Bowman.

The entire room fell silent. Krystal was sitting dazed in the same wheelchair as before. Not a bruise had been added to her body, not a scar had been added to her face; but her left arm, the one Dash had mutilated with a single golden bullet, had been removed.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Fox stared in mental collapse at Krystal's missing limb; he'd known that the arm had been destroyed, but his eyes darted relentlessly over her form in desperation to find what he couldn't see. _All the things I've taken from you…_ A haze filled his sight as he underwent flashes of the mirror image from his inflicted nightmare; a new level of terror burying him from one more aspect of his visions coming true.

"You know Mr. McCloud; I must say I'm quite offended."

Fox didn't respond, careless to realizing that Dash had knelt beside him.

Bowman continued, "You should be _thanking_ me for what I did for her, I saved her life! Without my medical team and supplies, she'd be _dead_ right now! But all I get is _silence_?!"

Fox had begun to tense up the second Dash had finished saying that he should be thankful. Once Dash was done talking altogether, Fox rose to his feet and turned on him, who remained squatted and just watched him; intrigued.

The fur underneath Fox's spite-filled eyes dampening with tears. "If she were dead, I wouldn't be here right now. I'd be back on Venom with you, and you would be torn to pieces on your _cold, white, floors_."

Bowman sighed and looked down at the ground. "And how quick you forget all the pain that I can cause her while she's still living."

Fox grit his teeth. "You have me by the chain around my neck, but the more you yank me around, the worse I will do to you once I'm free."

Dash chuckled before rising to Fox's eye level. "No Fox, she's the one I have by the chain. You are merely bound by your affection for her, and of that _you_ choose whether or not you are free."

Fox was silent.

Dash smiled with a vicious intent as he pulled an all too familiar revolver from his coat. "Oh, the things I should do to her for the disrespect you've shown me."

Fox's fists clenched tight. _"Shoot her again_ , and I'm _done_. I haven't made any attempts to break away or free her. I'm here and I'm ready to get what you need. Pull that trigger, and that's all over."

Bowman looked at Fox questionably. "Could you live with that, Mr. McCloud? Could you just stand there and quit while I finish her limbs, one section at a time?" Dash stepped closer to Fox, presenting another devilish smile. "I've even considered using her to fulfill a certain… _male desire_ , before I start."

Everything inside Fox wanted to explode in pure rage at that threat, but he held his serious, collected manner. He knew there was only one way to keep Bowman from tormenting Krystal further, and he wasn't about to blow it. " _I don't_ have to live with it. Way I see it, both her life and mine are already over. You cause her any form of pain for so much as a second longer, I will end my own life right here, right now, and you will lose _everything_."

Dash raised an eyebrow, entertained by Fox's answer. "Even if you had a blaster, would you really have the guts to end your own life; by your own hand?"

Fox fought past his nerves to give another confident threat. "I'd start by plunging my clawed thumbs through my eyes and into my brain. If that didn't work, I'd shred my throat." Fox approached Dash as close as Dash had approached him. "I _dare you_ to _test me_."

The two held each other's stare, motionless. Five seconds passed before a grin crept back onto Bowman's face. "You've impressed me Mr. McCloud; you win this one." He slid the revolver back into his blazer, stepped away from Fox, and placed his hands behind his back as he walked over to the table where all the pulled items were waiting; facing Fox again when he got there.

Fox had made his way over to Krystal and knelt beside her while Dash's back was turned; Fox wasn't sure if she even knew he was there. Barely conscious as she was, she still seemed tormented; as if she were currently undergoing a nightmare. _I can never right the wrong I've done to you, but… you will be free. Even if it costs my life, I will see you back in Panther's arms; safe._

"Don't waste your thoughts Mr. McCloud, I've got her drugged up enough that her brain might as well be mush right now." Bowman said humorously.

"I'm done wasting _time_." Fox said as he stood and approached the table, glaring at Dash the entire way. "What is it you want from here, and you'll have it within the next two hours."

Dash held his grin. "You've had it this whole time."

Fox had reached the table and stopped. "You've given me nothing."

Bowman's grin grew as his brow creased. "You know nothing."

Fox wanted to slam his fists on the table and demand that the monkey cut the games, but he controlled himself. _You'll only be giving him what he wants._ "Then tell me what it is I have; you're wasting your own time right now."

Fox's body tensed as Dash responded with a chuckle. "If you say so." Dash stepped back from the table, looked at Dalles, and gestured toward the items that lay on the table's surface.

Dalles nodded, wearing his own small grin that he'd displayed the entire time, and picked up the scalpel in his gloved right hand.

Bowman continued. "Noticed any pain in your lower jaw, Mr. McCloud? Particularly on your _left_ side?"

A shiver began to creep up Fox's spine. The burning had never left his jaw, only to be forgotten during serious enough distractions.

A chuckle rose in Bowman's throat. " _Oh,_ ho-ho, the time has come for you to finally learn _everything_!"

Fox swallowed, feeling a combination of impatience and fear. "I'm all ears."

"First things first. On the interior side of your lower left jaw bone, you will find a plastic encased SD card."

Dalles approached Fox and held out the scalpel towards him as Dash continued. "You are to retrieve it and hand it to captain Dalles, who will deliver it to its intended location."

Fox's heart rate spiked. He had dealt with many wounds in his life, but never had he undergone cutting through his own skin, deep into his muscles and ligaments.

Bowman couldn't look more pleased. "So very sorry, it was the only way to get it past the scanners in this facility. I honestly did pick the most efficient place for it to be extracted. Just think of it as a way to tap into the pain that _she_ feels." Dash added, gesturing towards Krystal.

Fox looked over at her. Even in her unconscious, slouched, armless state, he found her the same as he always had. _So beautiful, delicate; like an angel… you never belonged here._ Fox looked down at the scalpel, his heart rate increasing to the point where he could feel his entire body pulsing.

"The card is awfully small Mr. McCloud, so cut with care." Dash added with mirth.

Fox screwed his eyes shut tight and began taking deep breaths, preparing for what he was about to do. _It's finally time I took the suffering._ Fox held out his right hand, and Dalles placed the scalpel in his palm. Fox's fingers slowly closed around it as his breathing heightened.

Suddenly, he felt his childhood friend rush over and place his hand on his shoulder; his voice was filled with pure terror. "You could let me cut it out! It'd be easier for _you_ that way?!"

Bowman cleared his throat as he waived his index finger back and forth at Slippy. "Commendable effort Slippy, but this is something Fox will do. We could give him a mirror though?" He asked, looking over at Dalles.

"Seems like the decent thing to do." Dalles said with a nod, reaching into his dress uniform jacket and pulling out his tablet. He selected its camera application and set its view so that Fox could see himself on the screen.

Fox opened his eyes and stared intensely at the screen; his breathing kept growing deeper and faster; he hadn't even felt Slippy's hand withdraw as his friend backed away helplessly.

Fox looked up at captain Dalles. "Let's step away from the table." He said as he put three meters' distance between himself and the table.

Dalles followed Fox to the spot, keeping the tablet in Fox's view as he held out another item: the electric razor. "You'll want to shave the area first."

Fox stared at the item for a moment before grabbing it with his empty hand, switching it on, and shaving a thick line along his lower left jaw bone; using the tablet to check his work. Once satisfied, Fox turned the razor off and handed it back to Dalles, who carelessly tossed it rearward with a smirk.

Fox ignored the comedic gesture. "Kneel with me." He ordered as he pulled off his white gloves and slid them into his down jacket.

Dalles nodded as both he and Fox took a knee.

Fox looked into the screen again and positioned the blade along his lower left jawline. He stared into the screen for a moment longer before screwing his eyes shut; his entire body tensing up. His lungs still raced until suddenly, he fell completely silent and still.

Three eternal seconds passed in soundless agony before Fox's scalpel-wielding hand began to rotate, and the sound of sliced flesh could be heard.

Every muscle in Fox's body grew tighter and tighter as the blade parted his skin. In a second, both the wound and the blade felt searing hot. He had tried his best to keep silent, but with the final two centimeters he released a loud groan that broke into a short cry. Fox pulled the scalpel from the wound and it fell from his palm to the floor. Fox fell onto his right hand and pressed his left hand against the wound, fighting against the fiery sting that attempted to overwhelm him. Blood actively dripped from the cut and pooled in his palm in seconds.

Fox looked up into the tablet to inspect his progress, tilting his head as far back as possible to get a clear view of the incision and using his hand to wipe away as much of the scarlet fluid as he could. _Damn it!_ He cursed as he dropped his head.

Dalles chuckled. "You got a long way to go pup."

Fox clenched his right hand into a fist. _Come on Fox!_

He had made it past a good few layers of skin, but the cut was hardly six centimeters in length. Fox looked back over at Krystal, his eyes danced back and forth between her beautiful face, and the stump that used to be her arm. He proceeded to slowly hang his head between his arms. _You've never truly understood pain, have you Fox? Only fear…_ His gaze traveled back over to Krystal. _So, what is it going to be? Are you going to dwell in fear?_ Fox brought his head and eyes over to where the bloody scalpel lay beside him. _Or are you going to plunge into a newfound knowledge of pain and suffering to save her life?_

Fox took one more longing glance at Krystal as he lifted himself off his right hand and straightened himself. His eyes filled with a passionate determination as they returned to the scalpel and he picked it back up. Fox closed his eyes, took a long, deep breath, then let it back out; slow and controlled. His eyes flew back open, and he looked at himself in the tablet. Fox positioned his head so he had a clear view of the wound, wiping away more of his built-up blood before bringing the scalpel back into place.

He vividly imaged plunging the blade as deep as it would go, then dragging it along the left inner side of his jaw bone; starting at the chin and ending at the back end of his jaw. Over and over he ran through the process, until it was burned in his head. _You know what you need to do._ Fox tensed, preparing himself. _Alright agony, show me what you got._

Fox closed his eyes and without a second's hesitation, he plunged the blade into the scarlet soaked, dripping wound and began to carve alongside the bone. He growled furiously from the infernal sting that exploded from the infliction and remained in its tracks. Fox focused on the image in his head, forcing his hand to follow its instruction and not allow anything to stop his progress. The blade reached the end of his jaw, and Fox pulled it out with a short, tormented cry.

Without rest, he took his left pinky finger and stuck it into the incision, feeling for the card. The burning sensation flared at the intrusion, but Fox stayed focused on the image in his head; he would not stop. _There it is!_ He thought as his finger traced an abnormal, smooth, solid object protruding from the space between the jaw bone and muscle; though it wasn't protruding enough to pull it out. _Must go deeper!_

Fox pulled his finger out of the cut and brought the scalpel in his right hand back to it. All of his fingers on both hands were now completely soaked with his blood, and the floor at his knees had accumulated a considerable-sized puddle of it. Fox was thankful for his adrenaline, lest he be passed out on the floor. _Must… go… deeper!_ He repeated before plunging the blade back into the wound, pushing it as deep as it would go into the ligaments around his chin.

He hollered in utter torment as he sliced in the same direction he had before; he could feel each and every centimeter of flesh cut by the blade as it went. The bottom of his tongue could feel the foreign point of the scalpel traveling beneath the gum tissue; the pain was becoming impossible to bear. _DO… NOT… STOP!_ Fox screamed in his head, still crying out with his voice as the blade passed the half way point.

With one final effort, he finished off the last bit of muscle with a decisive swipe before simply letting the scalpel fall out of the wound and onto the metal floor; knocking loose most of the blood that had completely covered it.

Before Fox finally fell to temptation to let the pain overwhelm him, he shoved his left index finger and thumb back into the wound and pulled out the encased SD card. His brain alerted him to be cautious when he realized the card was no bigger than his finger tip. He looked up at Dalles and held out the card to him.

Dalles slipped the tablet back into his jacket and took the card from Fox.

Fox pressed his left hand back up against the wound, desperately trying to ease the searing pain and stop the blood flow. While doing so, he watched Dalles travel over to the table, open the small black box and place the card inside before closing it. Fox finally caved to the sting as he fell to his side and began involuntarily groaning, pressing his hand as hard as he could against the wound.

Seconds later, he suddenly felt a pair of hands grab his shoulders and roll him onto his back. Fox laid eyes on the culprit above him. _Dalles?!_ Before Fox could react, one of the captain's hands grabbed his chin and pulled it up to better expose the lower jaw, while the other hand wiped it dry with what felt like a cloth. Afterwards, the captain proceeded to press something else against the wound that came with a sting matching what Fox just went through. Fox shouted in misery as he did everything he could to get Dalles to release him.

Dalles struggled to keep control of Fox's head. "Don't fight it, I'm fixing your wound!"

" _You'd better not be lying_!" Fox growled as he forced himself to lie still.

About ten seconds passed before Dalles let Fox go and stepped away from him, dropping a white rag on the ground next to Fox's head. "That's for your hands."

Fox laid on the ground a moment longer, calming his spinning head. His fading adrenaline was threatening to pull him from consciousness. He slowly rolled to a sitting position, used the rag to clean his hands of the blood, and went to inspect his incision with his left hand. The skin felt smooth as if nothing had happened, though the heavy burning sensation still remained; accompanied by blood stains on his jaw and neck.

"Your part in this is finished, Mr. McCloud." Dash stated eerily.

Fox's thoughts stopped dead as he slowly turned toward Bowman, making his way to his feet as he did so.

Bowman still stood by the table as he gestured at captain Dalles, who had retrieved the black box from the table and walked out the same door they had come in. Fox observed a security guard had also entered the room during his self-inflicted operation, but it didn't remain on his mind. He had a single inquiry for Bowman, but he feared he already knew the answer. "I still have to retrieve whatever it is you need."

"You have _delivered_ what I needed. Within the hour, every automated machine that the Cornerian military has ever integrated into their arsenal will be mine to control."

Fox successfully stood straight up, but was still struggling for his balance. Dash's words were slowly causing his nerves to rise. "This was never a pick-up; was it."

Dash shook his head slowly, wearing his usual grin. "No Mr. McCloud."

Fox grit his teeth. "Why the deceit?"

"Why would I give you a bargaining tool? You already found the guts to threaten me with your own life, it'd be too easy to threaten me with my SD card and a hammer."

For a split second, Fox was amused. _You were afraid of my will to barter._ The amusement left as fast as it had come. Fox knew his next question; and like the first, he feared the next answer. "What happens with Krystal?"

"What I promised: she lives and physically suffers no further."

The answer only partially satisfied Fox. "And her freedom?"

Silence followed Fox's question until Dash slowly began to chuckle, proceeded by a roar of laughter. He calmed himself after a few seconds and looked Fox dead in the eye. "Now, now Mr. McCloud. Do you remember me saying anything about her freedom?" His grin increased a couple centimeters. " _I sure don't_."

Fox instantly felt snared. _I knew it was too early to celebrate…_ He thought as his heart sank, fully aware to how powerless he was to fight whatever Dash claimed to have said. However, Fox kept himself calm. _He's promised to let her live, that's bought you more time._ "What benefit do you gain from keeping her?!"

"She's a weapon, Mr. McCloud." Dash stated as he began walking over to Krystal. "A _fucking_ weapon." He reached Krystal and stood directly behind her, placing his hand on her shoulder as he continued. "Upon taking her into captivity, she convinced one of my soldiers to draw and fire his weapon upon several of his brethren, without saying a _single word_. You yourself witnessed her attempt to force me to bash my own head in. She almost succeeded a second time after you left, hence why she is now kept unconscious; though it probably won't be long until she figures out a way around that as well… That's where the next step comes in."

Fox listened no further, he knew Bowman's heart was set on this. _If I don't act now and get back to her, I'll lose her forever._ He looked around for Slippy and found him passed out cold on the floor a few meters from where Fox had cut into his jaw. Fox felt a stab of pity and irritation with his friend. He understood why he fainted, but that didn't help the situation. _I've got to wake you back up._ Fox walked over to Slippy and knelt beside him.

"I hadn't finished, Mr. McCloud."

"There's only one more thing I'm interested in hearing from your mouth." Fox began shaking his friend's shoulder as he looked over at Bowman. "What was on that card?"

Dash shrugged. "Have it your way. It was an artificial, intelligent, neurotoxic virus. Dalles is currently headed…" Dash looked off towards something invisible to Fox. "Oh look, he just inserted it. That was the bite, Mr. McCloud." Bowman began walking toward Fox. "Starting from the very heart of Corneria's virtual systems, the virus will spread throughout its veins and hand complete control over to me. Intelligence databases, operating systems, satellite and video feeds all will be mine to access and command! Corneria will be left only with the treacherous to defend them, whom will be decimated in seconds when every turret, vehicle, shield, robot, you name it Mr. McCloud, turns on them before they even notice." Dash's voice began passionately rising as he reached Fox and began to circle him. "Venom will rise unopposed, and you Mr. McCloud, will be hailed as the great deliverer! Everyone will know your name!" Bowman stopped, faced Fox, and rose his arms above his head for presentation; merrily shouting his next statement. "Fox McCloud, the one who revived the _rightful_ empire of the Lylat system!"

Fox rose to his feet and faced off with Dash. "Then why do you need _her_?! You have what you wanted, _let her go_!"

"And surrender such an asset that was placed into my hands? I'd be a fool Mr. McCloud! She can mentally read and send messages, bend the whim of whoever she chooses without even speaking to them! Think of what she could do when she's honed in on her abilities?! One day Mr. McCloud, revolutions will rise against me, and she will crush them before they even pick up their weapons!"

Fox lowered his chin slightly as the emotion in his eyes instantly grew fierce. "There's one revolution that, had you let her go, never would've started. Now, there's no telling how fast and how hard I will bring my wrath down upon you. I'm coming, she will be free, and you _will know_ the mistake you've made."

Bowman held Fox's glare with his usual grin, seemingly unfazed. "Then you'd better get going, you have less than five minutes until I have control of every automated asset in the headquarters; let alone any guard or soldier that will oppose you." Dash glanced over to the security guard, a male Doberman Pinscher, that had posted about two meters from the far side of the table around the time Dalles had left. Bowman looked back at Fox tauntingly. " _Good luck_ , Mr. McCloud."

With that, Dash faded from Fox's site. Fox looked over towards where Krystal had been, and his heart sank upon seeing she was gone too. _It doesn't matter. I will see you again, and there is no obstacle I cannot cross to get there._ Fox observed the security guard. _Starting with you._ The pinscher had seemed reactionless to everything that had happened, and was now cautiously watching Fox. From what Fox could tell, the guard was armed with a single hand blaster, Fox thought of the scalpel that he had left lying on the ground, but he didn't dare look towards it.

Fox looked over at Slippy, who's passed-out state hadn't changed. "Well my friend, you leave me no choice." Fox knelt by him and began rubbing his sternum with his knuckle; calling his name.

Still no response.

Fox grit his teeth. _I told you I'm not losing you in here, you're coming with me!_ Fox rubbed faster and fiercer, calling his name as he went.

Finally, the frog cringed as his hands grasped Fox's; his eyes fluttering open. _About time!_

Slippy's words weren't far from garble. "Did… did you… is it… out…?"

Fox smirked at his friend. "It's over Slippy, we're getting out of here." He offered Slippy his hand.

Slippy took it, but winced as Fox began to pull him up. "Ah! Head spinning… stomach… _churning_ …"

Fox slowly lowered Slippy back to the ground. _Come on! I've got a guard watching me, you can't stand; we need to go!_ Suddenly an idea hit him, spiking his anxiety. "Let me check the first aid kit and see if there's anything to get you up faster." He told Slippy as he stood and headed toward the table.

Slippy's eyes shot wide open. "Fox, you… you know I don't like needles."

Fox kept his eyes from glancing over toward the guard as he approached the table where the medical kit lay. "Neither do I bud." He was sweating as he began to sift through the different bandages, tourniquet, and capped vials filled with injectable fluids. _You have_ one _shot at this Fox!_ He glanced towards the guard, estimating about two meters' distance between them.

The Pinscher placed his hand on his blaster as he noticed Fox watching him.

Fox's heart stopped. _Here we go!_ In a single second, Fox stepped toward the guard, rotated his upper body with force in the direction he stepped, and used his arms to launch the kit toward the guard as hard as he could.

Fox's aim was perfect. As the guard drew his blaster, he was blinded by the array of objects, then stunned by the metal case smacking into his chin and collar. Immediately after the case had struck him, the guard was met by Fox's body smashing him against the wall he had stood by.

Fox wasted no time in his movements, he had already planned his assault. The instant the guard hit the wall, Fox drove his right fist as hard as he could into the dog's abdomen. The guard bent forward with the blow, and Fox swung his left forearm up into the Pinscher's jaw; bringing him back to a straight, standing position. Fox then thrust his right palm into the dog's snout, propelling his head into the wall behind it. Fox proceeded to step to his left, keeping his right leg in the way of the guard's legs. He grabbed the dog's right shoulder and mid back, and threw the Pinscher's body forward; causing the him to trip and fall face first onto the ground below. Before the guard could gather his thoughts, Fox landed his right knee in the center of the dog's spine, and brought his right fist hammering down onto the back of the Pinscher's skull, causing his forehead to smack against the concrete floor.

Fox grabbed and kept hold of the dog's uniform collar with his left hand before reaching for the holster of the Pinscher's blaster with his right hand. Upon finding it empty, he remembered the guard had already drawn the weapon before the assault. Fox looked back toward the wall and saw the blaster on the ground. _Fuck!_ He instantly retrained his eyes on the guard and lifted his head up by the shirt collar, finding him out cold with blood oozing from both the back of his skull and his forehead.

Fox's stress shattered as shocked relief replaced it. _It… worked…_ _Heck, it worked better than I thought it would!_ His solemn demeanor returned as he realized that he still wouldn't take any risks. He rose from the body and walked toward the blaster.

Slippy's voice intruded Fox's thoughts. "Dang Fox, did you _kill him_?" Slippy had propped himself up on his elbows as his wide, horrified eyes switched between Fox and the downed guard.

Fox had momentarily forgotten about Slippy and didn't pay too much attention to him as he picked up the blaster and made sure it was loaded. "I'm going to."

Slippy began to get to his feet as fast as his dizzied mind would allow. "Fox, let's just relax and think about this; he's out _cold_."

Fox walked over to and stood aside the body, then looked directly into Slippy's eyes. "Anysoldier in here loyal to Dash won't hesitate for a _second_ to take us down. I _will not_ have a _single one_ come back to haunt us."

Before Slippy could offer any form of rebuttal, Fox looked down the sights of the blaster, lined them up with the Pinscher's skull, and pulled the trigger.

….

Neither Lucy or Amanda had strayed further from the Great Fox than its loading ramp. When the word came, they were going to be ready. R.O.B remained in the bridge to monitor the ship and ensure it was primed for takeoff, while Amanda and Lucy had attempted to bury themselves in smaller tasks to pass the time; yet it brought no speed to the dragging clock.

Amanda had spent some time in the kitchen whipping up meals to keep the team fed. The chore was bitter sweet, as cooking always made her feel close to Slippy. She had always felt in competition with her husband, his culinary abilities had thrown her completely off guard at the beginning of their relationship. She'd always envisioned settling down with one she'd have to cook for. With Slippy, they'd wind up in a race to see who could make the best meal. _Frustrating as the little culinary mastermind could be…_ She thought as she worked. _I'd give anything to have him back… Oh please Slippy, make it back safe._

Lucy had taken it upon herself to knock out some of the team's laundry. Upon checking the shower room for left behind clothing, Lucy came across Fox's tattered, blood stained uniform. She knelt at the pile in front of her and began inspecting each piece; looking past the dried, flaked blood that nearly covered each item. His pants, and shemagh could be salvaged, but the jacket, vest and sleeveless tactical combat shirt were shredded at the front by whatever clawed animal he encountered.

A sharp pang targeted Lucy's heart as her grief returned. The war inside her had never subsided; regret and angst wrestled to and fro to the point where her mind threatened to collapse. _I shouldn't have let you go…_ Lucy closed her eyes and bowed her head. _You've already undergone so much, where are you going to stop? Can you be stopped? Could the chance with another help you abandon your guilt? Abandon your sense of guardianship? Or am I chasing a dream that would be shattered by confrontation…?_ Lucy opened her eyes and glowered at his clothes, grabbing and tossing the ones that could be washed in the basket she carried.

Before standing to leave, she glanced over at Fox's boots; noticing a large, charred hole in the bridge of the right boot. Lucy felt as if an electric bolt tore through her. She had been so distracted by all the rest of Fox's wounds, she had never even noticed this one. _Oh Fox…_ A pained sigh breathed out her lips as she ran her fingers along the damaged area of the boot. _What happened to you down there…_

R.O.B.'s voice came on over the intercom. "LUCY, AMANDA, REPORT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. A TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM FOX."

Lucy's heart took off in a sprint, feeling a bittersweet mix of excitement and terror. She had dropped the basked where she knelt and leapt toward the shower room exit, racing as fast as she could toward the bridge. _Please be alright, that's all I ask!_ She prayed, glancing up toward the ceiling. A loud shriek came from her mouth and the mouth of another as her body slammed into Amanda; who had hopped to getting to the control room with as much energy as Lucy. The two exchanged brief, heartfelt apologies.

"Please, after you." Lucy said, gesturing up the stairs.

"Thank you, I really hope they're both okay." Amanda stated nervously as she shot up the stairs.

"You said it." Lucy replied as she followed straight after her. She suddenly was overcome with immense pity for Amanda, and guilt for even feeling stressed about Fox. _I'm not the one with a husband in danger…_

They both tore into the bridge and found R.O.B. standing at the holographic table. Lucy's heart sank slightly when it wasn't Fox's form she saw displayed on the table, but planet Katina with a flashing red dot marking the location that was being reached out to, accompanied by the light, repetitive beep.

Amanda spoke right up and over the noise. "Did you lose connection?! _Is Slippy alright_?!"

"PLEASE STAND-BY." Was R.O.B.'s response.

Amanda's face instantly grew red with fury, but as she went to lecture the robot, the holographic table announced that it had made contact.

….

A soft, cool breeze blew through Falco's vibrant blue feather's, ruffling them slightly as he rested with his back against the lower fuselage window of Amanda's Tadpole. He had found a secluded valley with just enough hills, rock and tall grass to conceal the fighter, but open enough to still give him view of the mystic green sky. He took a relaxed breath of air, and let it escape back out his nostrils. He wasn't sure if any of them would be getting back off Katina, but it was pointless stressing over it every second. _Specially when one has this at his disposal._

Falco had separated from the Great Fox II as it was descending onto the planet. It was a last second call by the entire Star Fox team and considered the most discrete way to stage the Tadpole elsewhere for Fox and Slippy's extraction. Now Falco just rested and waited for the call that would give him his destination. His choice to not stress did not leave him thoughtless, however. He couldn't keep himself from continuously wondering if they were even doing the right thing. He considered Krystal and her life, what she meant to him personally.

Like Fox, he had taking a liking to her straightaway. At every glance, his eyes were met with a breathtaking, beautiful, sexy face and figure with exotic color. She could hold her own in combat and had mastered a mysterious ability to read and send out thoughts. Her personality was adaptable to whoever she was with, making it far too easy to get along with her. She had definitely filled his thoughts whenever they were free. _Great in combat, great at a party, and I'm willing to bet great in bed; we'd be the ideal couple. If it weren't for her heart for you, Fox. You were a lucky critter, considering you and I both know I can out-charm you any day! What a heart she had for you too… Even after you dumped her, she never even tried to reach out to me._ It had been easy enough for him to shrug her off though, only feeling envy over Fox being able to win a female that he couldn't.

Falco chose to look at the situation from another angle. _Would I do the same for Katt?_ He had known the young, pink furred feline years prior to joining up with Star Fox. She was part of his rag-tag team of pilots, named the Space Hot-Rodders; which Falco captained himself. He was attracted to her physique right of the bat, yet that was never enough to tug at his heart strings. _Ya seen one pretty kitty, you seen em all._ Soft, smooth fur, bright piercing eyes, curved features, sassy and provoking personalities; just about any lone pilot's dream night. In the end however, they were nothing but time consuming, energy draining, dramatic distractions from Falco's true passion. Then came the day Katt knocked him off his taloned feet.

Falco grinned at the thought of what she did on that mission. The Hot Rodders had successfully retrieved three small crates from what Falco originally assessed to be an isolated, run down military ammunition depot on planet Zoness; an aquatic planet with nothing more than a few small islands and Cornerian military facilities breaking the surface.

Falco and his team had been running down an underwater Acrylic hallway when they saw the door at the end open and were greeted by nearly twenty Cornerian troops; the Hot-Rodders stopped dead in their tracks.

They had no place to take cover, and with another ten to fifteen troops not far behind, there was no going back.

"Fuck." Falco stated.

"What do we do boss?!" Croc, a large, beefy saltwater crocodile, asked.

"I'm thinking!" Falco snapped.

A middle aged, well-built English Mastiff yelled out to the trapped gang. "I am the commanding officer in charge of security for this weapons facility! Drop your weapons now and put your hands behind your head, or we will use whatever tactics necessary to detain you!"

 _Damn it!_ Falco cursed. _Why couldn't we have run into these guys in the storage room we just came out of?!_

"Got anything yet?!" Croc asked tauntingly.

"Of course I do!" There was a short pause, then Falco looked over at Croc. "But just spittin', you wouldn't've thought of something; have you?

The heavy gunner let out an annoyed grunt. "We're screwed."

Falco sighed then looked back at Katt, "Sorry kid, looks like your first real mission with us is…" He stopped mid-sentence, Katt was looking up through the top of the transparent tunnel; towards the surface of the ocean. What caught Falco's tongue was the look of crazed determination in her royal blue eyes.

"There's still a way." Katt said. She looked down at her belt and pulled out two propulsion grenades.

"What the hell are you doin?!" Falco asked nervously.

"You there! Put the grenades down _NOW_!" The Mastiff barked. "In fact, _all of you_ drop your belts too! I'm giving you _five seconds_ before we use force!"

Katt looked up at Falco. "The great, unbeatable Space Hot-Rodders ready to back down the minute they're cornered; I'm kinda' disappointed."

A subordinate Brown Lab leaned towards the commanding officer. "Sir, we should take them _now_."

"It's just a scare tactic!" The Mastiff replied. "No one's crazy enough to blow this tube, the water pressure would crush us all!"

Falco started to sweat. "Put the grenades down, you're going to kill _everyone_!"

Katt smiled deviously and looked over at Croc. "Hang on to those crates big guy."

Croc looked at Falco questioningly while gripping the crates hard enough to crush the metal shell they were made out of.

"Two seconds!" The officer yelled.

Katt took a breath, and time seemed to slow as she locked her undaunted eyes with those of the Mastiff's.

The Mastiff's eyes widened, and before the last second ticked away. " _Take them NOW_!"

" _KATT NO_!" Falco yelled simultaneously, but before either individual could even finish their sentence, Katt had spun a three-sixty turn and used the momentum to hurtle one grenade down each direction of the tunnel. The dogs turned and ran, and though they had stayed far enough from the intruders to clear the blast radius, the goal to clear the tunnel before the Acrylic caved was a mere fantasy. Everything happened to fast for comprehension. The next thing the Hot-Rodders could make out was that they were surrounded by a painfully heavy mass of water.

About two minutes later, Katt, Croc, and Falco were back on their carrier with Mouser: a ragged, skinny mouse who acted as the carrier's main pilot, behind the wheel. Mouser had been flying around in range of the mission site, and Katt had held up a flashing red orb as soon as she had reached the water's surface to signal him to pick them up. Falco hadn't even given either team members time to dry off before he began his harsh lecture to Katt.

"Why are your feathers so ruffled?!" Katt scoffed in defense. "I just saved all of us from twenty years in a maximum-security prison!"

" _You coulda killed us_!" Falco yelled back. "In all my life, I've never seen such careless action!"

"Scared of the grim reaper Falco?!" She snickered. "First off, I'd take death any day over time at a Cornerian criminal containment facility! Secondly, I had observed our scenario before I made the choice; we weren't any deeper than eleven, maybe twelve meters from the surface. I'll admit that it's close to, but not far enough down for the water to _actually_ crush us; maybe a ruptured ear drum at worst. Main thing is we're free, _and_ we got the ammo crates."

Falco jerked his burning stare over to the beefy crocodile.

Croc shuffled his feet. "Eh, two of them. The water ripped one right from my hands."

" _Careless_!" Falco shouted again, looking back at Katt. "Get the fuck back to your quarters while I try to decide whether to drop you right back into the ocean!"

Katt stepped back.

Falco could tell by her expression that that one hurt.

She glared at him, turned, and walked away; muttering as she left. "You couldn't give any orders back there, when they were _needed_."

Falco never admitted it, but Katt Monroe was the only one who could ever argue with him and leave him speechless in the end. Falco would always have to end their fights by sending her away so he still appeared to be the dominant victor.

Truth was, he was infatuated with her. She was fearless in the face of battle; he could tell she even shared his passion for it. Katt's tactics even went as far as to scare Falco sometimes, he liked that about her. For the first time in his life, he had found a woman who wasn't just another pretty kitty. She was willing and able to do what she had to in order to make her way in this world, and turn it into a joyride.

A loud beeping sounded off from the cockpit of the Tadpole. Wasting no time, Falco stood up straight, walked up the ramp that lowered from the front end of the fighter, and pulled himself into the cockpit seat that sat above the ramp; pressing the control to answer the call as he adjusted himself. "Yeah, whatta we got?" He asked swiftly.

R.O.B.'s upper body appeared on the small screen on his dashboard. "FOX AND SLIPPY HAVE CHOSEN, AND ARE HEADED TOWARDS, AN EXTRACTION POINT. COORDINATES ARE BEING SENT TO YOUR ARWING'S MAP SYSTEM NOW. SECONDARY EXTRACTION POINTS ARE BEING SENT AS WELL."

Falco's body threatened to freeze as his mood changed in a flash to surprise and urgency. "They actually did it… I'm on my way right now." He answered as he began pressing more controls and flipping a variety of switches to power on the fighter.

"WE ARE CURRENTLY TAKING OFF AND LEAVING THE PLANET BEFORE WORD SPREADS AND WE ARE CONNECTED TO THE OPERATION. WHEN YOU ASCEND FROM THE PLANET, BE SURE TO CHOOSE AN AREA WITH LITTLE AIR AND SPACE BORN SECURITY. ONCE YOU ESCAPE, FLY TOWARDS VENOM; WE'LL COME TO YOU."

"Whatever works." He answered as the Tadpole became ready for launch and he secured the cockpit ramp. Falco looked down at the screen and saw a notification that coordinates had been received. He touched the icon and a virtual map appeared with multiple points individually labeled with a letter and a number. "Got the coordinates, which dot is the primary?"

"ALPHA ONE IS PRIMARY. BRAVO ONE THROUGH FOUR ARE SECONDARY POINTS. I PROGRAMMED THE TADPOLE TO BE ABLE TO HACK INTO LOCKED DOORWAYS INSIDE THE HEADQUARTERS WHEN YOU ARE WITHIN FIFTEEN METERS OF THEM; THE CONTROL PANEL WILL WALK YOU THROUGH IT. WE WILL CONTACT YOU IF FOX OR SLIPPY UPDATES US ON THE SITUATION."

"Copy that friend, see ya soon."

"GOOD LUCK." With that, the comm terminated and R.O.B. disappeared from the screen.

Falco tapped on point alpha one, and the screen instantly focused in on it; displaying a route from the outer entry to the sewers, leading through the tunnels to the point where he would extract Fox and Slippy. With his direction set, Falco pulled back on the Tadpole's control stick and got it airborne; rotating it in the direction of point alpha one. He looked ahead and pondered his situation again. _Would I do the same for Katt…?_ He took his right hand off the joystick and placed it on the thruster lever located at the right side of the cockpit. After a few seconds of thought, he thrust the lever rearward and took off towards the infiltration point _._

…..

As soon as Falco's body had faded from the holographic table, R.O.B. turned and walked over to the Great Fox's controls and began working to get the ship airborne.

Having literally bit her tongue to keep herself quiet during the transmission, Amanda began firing off her questions. "So Slippy _is okay_?!"

"ROGER, HE AND FOX CONTACTED ME. ALL THREE OF US FOUND A FEW SEWER ENTRY POINTS CLOSE TO THEIR LOCATION, AND CHOSE THE BEST ONE. THEY ARE CURRENTLY INBOUND TOWARDS IT."

Amanda didn't look relieved. "Have they been discovered?! Did they find weapons?! _What's happening down there_?!"

"THEY DID NOT INFORM ME ANYTHING REGARDING THEIR EXACT SITUATION."

Amanda folded her arms and turned away from R.O.B. " _Damn it_!" Overwhelming sadness and angst filled her face. Amanda closed her eyes and tried to calm herself. "It's okay, _it's okay_. They've made it this far, they can make it the rest of the way..."

Lucy walked over and warmly placed her hand on Amanda's shoulder. "This is Fox and Slippy we're talking about. They have each other's backs, and they'll do whatever it takes to get out; _alive_."

Amanda gently covered Lucy's hand with her own but remained silent. The fear of the worst was too strong, and Lucy couldn't blame her in the least. She thought of Fox's uniform she had left back in the shower room, and all the wounds it displayed. _Come on Fox, you survived that; you can survive this._


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Fox walked away from the panel Dalles had used to contact Bowman, that Fox had now used to contact the Great Fox II. Their way out had been decided, they had four backup plans in case the first attempt failed; all that was left was to fight their way to them. Fox had obtained a hand blaster from the guard he had killed, as well as salvaged a couple fully loaded power cells for it; slipping them into his left pant pocket. _Should be enough, long as I don't get bogged down in a firefight._ He quickly walked back over to the corpse and knelt by its side; searching it for anything else he could use.

Slippy had remained at the panel, still milling over their planned routes. "So… how are we getting past the scanners that are getting us into these pump rooms?"

Fox ceased his search, sweat instantly began building on his forehead. _Damn it! I had completely forgotten about the scanners..._ He looked the corpse up and down, ending at its hands. His eyes locked onto them, and Fox became completely still.

"Fox?" Slippy asked, growing anxious from lost time.

"You might want to look away." Fox replied sternly.

Slippy's anxiety went up a few levels. "What are you gonna do Fox?"

Fox stood up, stepped on the right hand, and aimed his blaster toward the elbow. "We're taking the hand with us."

Slippy's anxiety rocketed. "Okay Fox, I really think you're-"

Fox explosively turned on his friend. "Slippy, _I don't have time for this_! Any second now we're going to have other guards knocking down the door. If they're real Cornerian military, they'll arrest us for what we've done! If they're Dash's men, they'll _kill us_! I'm going to- _you know what_?!" Fox turned toward and aimed his blaster back at the elbow.

Slippy looked away on instinct, and heard five, paced shots fire into the flesh. Almost immediately following them, the horrifying sound of twisting and tearing flesh and bone fell upon his ears. It was all he needed to visualize what Fox was doing, and it only got worse as he heard Fox begin to stomp on the remainder of the attached limb until it was completely severed.

Slippy was flooded with nausea, and began to rock in different directions on his feet as his vision blurred and his ears filled with static. The feeling paused when he felt two hands placed on his shoulders. The hands rotated his body toward their owner, and he came face to face with a terrified, moist eyed Fox.

"Look Slippy… I'm _sorry_ I snapped at you. I _never_ thought I'd _actually_ do that to you, _of all animals_ … but this needs to be done. If I don't escape, if-if _we_ … don't escape… Krystal's life will be over; all of this will be in vain. I need your help; I _need_ … your help. Please… _please_ help me."

Slippy looked down at the ground and swallowed, trying his best to calm his buzzing head and rolling stomach. As it subsided he was able to gather his mentality. He looked back up at his best friend. _You're still Fox, I can see it. You're just willing to do whatever it takes to protect the one's you love…_ Slippy smiled, finding the strength he needed to be confident in his decision. "What can I do?"

Fox breath a sharp sigh of relief, then lowered his head and chuckled before looking back up at Slippy. "I need you to take that arm that I've wrapped in my down jacket and carry it with us."

Slippy's pupils dilated as he looked over at the down jacket now placed beside them; one end was damp with whatever blood had managed to leak through the seared, mutilated flesh, while the other revealed a few fingers of the hand they would need.

"It's that, or you'll need to take the lead and shoot our way out."

Slippy gulped and looked back at Fox, who continued staring at him in patient desperation. Slippy breathed in quickly, then blew it out with force. "When I tell you that you're like a brother to me." He said as he kneeled at the wrapped limb and picked it up with his left hand. "There should be no doubt."

Fox gave a heartfelt smile. "Slippy, I'd believe you from the moment you agreed to join this team."

Without skipping a beat, Fox stepped away from his brother and returned to the dead guard. He had already salvaged a taser and a couple flash bangs from the body, now he was aiming for the white BDU jacket; though he cursed himself for taking the hand before removing the coat. _That's what you get for not thinking… Well, you'll just have to deal with a bloody, half a sleeve._ He sat the body up straight and began working the jacket off the corpse.

"Why are you wasting your time on that? I thought we had to go?!" Slippy exclaimed.

Fox kept working as he answered, "This jacket is going to keep the turrets from shooting at us once Dash has control of them." He successfully pulled the coat from the body, which he let drop as he slipped the coat on himself; ignoring the cold, wet feel of the bloody, right sleeve end that dampened his own sleeves. "If you feel the shoulders of the jacket, there's a pair of strobe devices that all the automated systems pick up on and recognize as friendly. Until we're able to get one for you, _if_ we are, you'd better stay freaking glued to me!"

Slippy gave a mock salute. "Yes sir!"

Fox smiled. "Good to see you coming to Slip."

Slippy shrugged. "Well, it's either I face death's gate as myself, or lose myself to fear long before I even walk through them."

"Well put, brother." Fox agreed as he ensured all his gear was where he wanted it. Both the taser and the flashbang holsters had been easily pulled from the guard's belt and secured on Fox's belt; he kept all the equipment on his left side. The blaster was able to be squeezed into Fox's own holster, though he had already predetermined that it would remain in his hands until a better weapon was found.

All set, Fox looked over at Slippy. "You ready?"

Slippy had the wrapped limb tucked tightly under his left arm. He gave Fox a confident nod. "Let's get out of here."

Suddenly, both Slippy and Fox fell dead silent as they heard a turret activate in the room. Upon the second Fox recognized the sound, he leapt toward and tackled Slippy to the ground, shielding him from the turret's sight. Fox looked up in the direction of the mechanical sounds, and saw it was placed nearly dead center in the ceiling. The turret slowly spun clockwise as it searched the room for a target, but it found none. " _It works_." Fox whispered with a chuckle. He steadily brought himself up to one knee, lined up the pistol's sights on the turret, and fired three quick shots. The turret had gone haywire with the first shot, searching for a target; the second shot did it damage, and the third maimed it enough to disable it.

Slippy groaned. "Alright… Uh… let's go with plan ' _A_ ' now, where I'm glued to your back instead of _squashed_ by your front."

Fox gave another chuckle "Yeah, sounds-"

The click of a door beginning to open silenced him; the door they had originally came through. Fast as it began to open, Fox ripped a flash bang from his pouch, pulled the pin and chucked it towards the door. He had been quick, but he watched in alarm as a second flash bang was thrown in the room with them as well. "Eyes shut!" He yelled as he dropped back onto Slippy, grabbed and pressed Slippy's head into his shoulder, and buried his own eyes in Slippy's shoulder. The second he was deafened by the bang of the grenade, Fox looked up, got to his feet, and began running to the door; with Slippy following his lead. He knew there would be guards to both sides of the door, and he wasn't sure if what he was about to do would be considered suicide. _Please let that grenade have blinded them!_

Upon reaching the door, Fox threw a rear kick to Slippy's chest, dove onto the floor, and rolled onto his back as he slid out the exit. The second his head entered the hallway, he looked to his left, and saw two disoriented guards trying to regain their composure. Fox zeroed his sights in on the center of their bodies, and fired one shot at each guard. The instant both shots had been sent, he rolled over to his right side and observed three guards. Panic struck him as he observed these guards where actually attempting to hone in on him. Without bothering to perfect his aim, Fox fired off a total of four shots in their direction. To Fox's thrilled adrenaline, all three bodies dropped to the floor; though one instantly began forcing himself back up. Fox matched his speed as he pushed himself up while firing another three blasts into the guard's body before he could lift his own rifle. The guard fell lifeless, and Fox found his breath again over his pounding heart. Fox forced himself to keep his head; he knew there'd be plenty more on the way.

He got to his feet and went straight back to Slippy, kneeling down to his stunned friend's side. "Are you okay?"

"Just… (cough) one question… Why?!"

Fox looked at Slippy with pity as he switched out the power cells in his hand blaster. "I know I've already apologized a lot today… I just didn't want you following me out there and getting shot… I wasn't sure yet if you could hear again, nor did I want to openly announce that I was a few feet from the door."

"Okay, good enough." Slippy said, giving Fox a pained, enthusiastic expression and a thumbs up. Without warning, the frog rolled over on his side and vomited violently on the floor.

The guilt over everything he had put his friend through burned inside himself. _When we get through this, I'll never ask anything of you again; I swear on my life._ "If there weren't armed soldiers on their way I wouldn't say this, but we gotta go Slippy." Fox offered his hand to him.

Slippy instantly took it, hacking up and spitting out the last of the vile glop as Fox pulled him up. "I'm not out yet." He said, grinning pathetically.

"Good." Fox replied with a nod and a smile before turning back toward the exit. Kneeling at the doorway, he quickly checked the hallway for approaching forces; taking caution not to expose to much of his own head. Upon neither seeing or hearing any threat, Fox sized up the different corpses, grabbed the one closest to Slippy's size by its uniform collar, and dragged it back inside the room. "Get that jacket on." He ordered as he slid the body over towards Slippy, then headed back out to secure an assault blaster rifle he had observed all the response force carrying.

After conducting another check of the hallway, Fox stepped out, sheathed the hand blaster he carried, and grabbed a rifle nearest to him. He pulled a couple pouches loaded with assault rifle power cells off one guard's belt and secured them on the left side of his own. Switching the first rifle to his left hand, Fox searched for and found a hand blaster secured to one of the soldier's waist holsters. He unsheathed it and checked its power cell. _Fully charged._ He searched the corpse further and found another couple power cells for the laser pistol. _Awesome._

Suddenly, Fox's ears twitched at picking up the light sound of boots traveling across the solid floors. He wasted no time darting back into the room he had been in, finding that Slippy had successfully removed the jacket from the body and just begun securing it on himself. "They're coming Slip; sounds like another group. We've got to get out of here before they corner us again."

"Got it." Slippy anxiously answered as he hurried his pace beyond his already rushed attempt to get the jacket on. With both arms successfully through, Slippy took the laser pistol and ammunition that Fox was holding out to him.

"When we're traveling," Fox began instructing, "I'll watch the way we're headed, and you keep a solid eye behind us; the whole time. Agreed?"

Slippy nodded, then took a deep breath. "I don't know how much good I'm going to do you." Slippy said nervously.

"Just keep one firm hand on the arm, and the other on your weapon." Fox responded over his shoulder, already headed towards the door. Suddenly, he heard another door open; the door in the center of the room's balcony.

Fox whirled over toward the sound and watched a guard take aim at Slippy. Instantaneously, Fox set his sights on the guard and pulled the trigger.

Slippy's heart stopped and his body numbed as he watched the soldier that was less than a second from killing him, withdraw from Fox's fire; Slippy's brain instantly registered the amount of the jeopardy the two of them were in. However, to his own disbelief, he found himself rushing to Fox's side.

"They're backing into cover." Fox informed him. "Start heading down the hallway, I'll keep them suppressed!" He commanded; continuing to fire short, controlled bursts at the intruding soldiers.

Slippy kicked into gear and stepped into the hall, rounding the end of the exit door Fox was using as cover and hugging the wall to his right as he began traveling away from Fox. _Same as an Arwing, it's the same thing as when you're in an Arwing…_ "I'm moving Fox!" Slippy yelled out at the last second.

"Roger!" Came Fox's reply.

Slippy slowed his pace to give Fox time to reach him, keeping a sharp eye on the path ahead of him. _Only, you have no shield to stop the blasts…_ Slippy nearly jumped when he felt Fox's back come in contact with his own. _Crap… just might die today._

"Swap me directions." Fox ordered in a lower voice.

Slippy didn't even respond as he rotated towards the wall while Fox went the other way around him. Slippy completely faced the direction Fox had and brought his blaster up to where Fox had been firing; giving off a couple shots when he saw their attackers peak out the door they had just exited.

"Great job Slippy." Fox complemented. "Don't let them have as much as-" Fox's fell silent as he watched a soldier pop out of the corner ahead of him. In the split-second Fox had before the dog had its rifle trained on him, Fox fired a clean burst to the soldier's head. The dog dropped, and Fox rushed to the corner; fighting victory's intoxicating sting that threatened to take his guard.

As he approached, Fox used his left hand to secure his second flash bang. Unwilling to set down his rifle, he bit down on the ring of the pin and tugged as his left hand pulled the body of the grenade away. The pin refused to give easily, and Fox began to wince as his teeth and gums voiced their pain. _Come on!_ His head swung back as the pin finally came free, and Fox counted off three seconds before throwing the flash bang down the intersecting corridor by bouncing it off its opposing wall.

The grenade ignited the moment it left Fox's sight, and he once again he took the gamble that he had successfully blinded whoever else was around the corner. With a split-second glance back at Slippy to make sure he was still in control of their rear, Fox leaned around the corner and lifted his rifle's holographic sight to his eye.

 _Three total, all staggering blind; get the closest first._ Fox thought as he fired a couple blasts at the center mass of a guard on the opposing side of the hallway Fox had aimed down, about three meters from him. _Now to the second on my side of the hallway._ Fox snapped his aim over to the hostile and held down the trigger until his target dropped. Fox observed a fourth guard directly behind the second, and the third was another two meters back and in the middle of the passageway. _Hit the one you're already aimed at-fuck!_ Fox ducked back behind cover as the two remaining guards had dropped to the ground and began blind firing in Fox's direction. _Stay in control, stay in control!_

"You hit Fox?" He heard Slippy ask.

"Nope, stay put!" Fox quickly replied. _They're firing upwards, please don't let me regret this!_ Fox kneeled then leapt out into the hallway. Once his side had impacted the ground, he fired into the displayed shoulder, neck, and jaw area of both targets before they could adjust. He fired the last shot as he slid to a stop, and instantly got back to his feet and began headed down the hall way, hugging the wall as he strode. "What's the status of the guards on our six?"

"Two guards attempted to come out, I shot one and the other ducked back in cover before I could get a lock on him." Slippy reported as he took cover behind the other side of the corner he was at, firing another couple warning shots where he held the first set of guards at bay; proceeding to switch out the power cell in his own hand blaster.

"Keep your eye out, a few of them might be going around." _Hopefully there's not too much more, our door should be just ahead._ Fox looked up to the passage ceiling and noticed the small, black domes the indicated security cameras. His nerves sent what felt like a bolt through his heart as he slid to a stop. _They still know where we are… where we're headed…_ He raised his blaster and attempted to shoot it out, but the lasers failed to sear through the material. _They'll be setting something up just ahead, preparing to cut us off, then assault us from behind._ He quickly milled over all their sewer access points, recalling one a few hallways back. _We've had to already depleted a good amount of their security, the heart of what's left will be up ahead. If we move quick enough…_

Fox went with his instinct, and instantly darted back in the direction they had come. "Let's move Slip!" Fox caught Slippy's bewildered expression as he passed him.

"Fox, _what the heck are we doing_?!" Slippy yelled out as he nearly lost his footing taking off after Fox.

 _Get ready, one most likely coming down the hall._ Fox brought his rifle's sites to his eye as he slowed and leaned out the corner he was intending to round. _Crap!_ He ducked back behind his side of the cover, just dodging the flurry of blasts that flew by. _He was already on the ground. They must've given him the heads up, and now he's got us cornered! The rest will be here any moment!_ Fox jerked his head over towards Slippy. "Keep him shooting at this corner?!"

Slippy gave Fox a brief, confused stare before simply shrugging his shoulders and switching positions with Fox at the corner. Fox slowly began walking towards the other wall of the hallway him and Slippy were in until he had the guard in view. The guard fired more shots at Fox; who retreated back a few steps. " _Now Slippy_!"

Slippy leaned out the corner and fired his pistol at the guard. The instant he did so, Fox lunged back out into the intersection.

The guard had retreated, giving Fox the time to close the distance on his location. Reaching the corner, Fox ensured Slippy had followed him and signaled for Slippy to take the corner. "Same thing as back there?"

Slippy nodded, securing his cover and exposing himself just enough to draw the guards fire.

"When I leap out, you're going to have to blast him."

Slippy swung a stunned look at Fox for a split second, but swiftly refaced his corner in apparent acceptance.

Praying his tactics were wise, Fox waited for Slippy to draw the guard's fire, then rolled into the open hall.

As the guard's blasts travelled towards his position, Slippy leaned out and dropped their opponent.

All the guard's limbs fell flat on the ground as life left his body. Fox stood slowly; feeling a sharp, icy stab at his conscience. _All these soldiers… I've killed them so easily…_

Slippy started on down the hall but stopped in his tracks and looked back at Fox in panic when he noticed Fox wasn't following. "Aren't we going this way now?! _Bravo three_?!"

Fox shook himself free of his thoughts to get moving and acknowledge Slippy's question. "Fast as we can!" The two brothers took off down the intersecting hall, but Fox's guilt-ridden conscience still plagued him. _These were all animals we once fought beside..._ Fox stared at the corpse as Slippy and himself ran by it. _Not machines... living beings!_ Fox looked ahead as the two rounded another corner into the next hall; slowing enough to check and ensure it was clear before proceeding. _Why is it so easy?!_

The door the two were headed towards was now in sight. _It doesn't matter... only one thing matters._ Fox fought to keep his pace steady and controlled, but he couldn't help speeding up in desperation to escape; leaving Slippy wheezing as he tried to keep up. _We're getting out of here, and I'm freeing Krys-_ Fox heard a click and the sliding of an opening door to his left. As he looked over, he didn't even have time to feel the impact of the dog that charged out and rammed into his side. Fox was taken to the ground and the dog instantly began working to get a dominant fighting position on Fox. Fox fought the oncoming shock of the blow as he countered the dog's attempts to pin him down.

The dog spoke. "I don't know what your game is Fox, but I'm not letting you go any further!"

Fox instantly recognized the voice as he met the eyes of a brown bulldog. _Bill?!_ Fox's focus shattered, quickly taking any control he had as the bulldog, wearing a similar uniform as Captain Dalles, took advantage of his disoriented state.

Bill Grey spoke again. "I hope you know I take _zero_ enjoyment in this!"

Fox grit his teeth. _What are you doing Fox, fight!_

Bill had him on his back, and was working to roll him onto his front when Fox heard Slippy yell out: "Let him go Bill! We don't want any quarrel with you!"

Bill's stern, amused voice followed. " _You're_ the one who's _truly_ shocked me, Toad!"

Fox felt Bill's grip loosen as he confronted Slippy. _Here's your chance Fox!_

Bill continued; the sternness in his voice slowly taking over. "Put the gun down bro, you aren't going to pull that trigger."

Fox rolled himself to his side and pushed off Bill's leg with his arms as he slid his hips and legs out from underneath Bill's. Fox quickly repeated the action before Bill could regain his position over him. Fox proceeded to draw his legs in and kick them straight into Bill's chest, sending him flying backward. Fox quickly got to his feet and grabbed his rifle that had been knocked from his hands, wasting no time on setting its sights on Bill; who had barely got his feet back underneath him.

The two ceased all movement as they stared cautiously at each other. Out of the corner of his eye, Fox observed the additional intelligence soldiers and contract employees watching from the doorway. "Any of you move," Fox warned, keeping Bill in his sights, "You lose your lives. Slippy! Go get that door open!"

"On it." Slippy replied shakily.

Fox slowly started backing toward bravo three, keeping his blaster trained on Bill; who's amusement was gone.

"Dude, _what the hell_ is going on?! You would really kill a _friend_?!"

Fox kept backing towards Slippy, but his stone expression remained on Bill. "You have no idea what I've already done; you're _already_ good as dead. Look at the soldiers in the room you leapt out of. Today, half of them will betray you, and every other loyal Cornerian."

Bill uttered a concerned chuckle. "Fox, you've _lost it_! Come on buddy, let me help; why are you doing this?!"

Slippy butted in. "It's open Fox, let's go!"

"Commin Slip." Fox felt his heel touch the base of the doorway. "I'm trying to save a life that I've destroyed; It won't be long until you see the proof in my warning." Fox paused, fighting memories of the past friendship that threatened to break him. The coldness in his eyes softened as grave concern leaked into them. "Please... be careful."

" _Fox_ , to your left!" Slippy yelled out, lifting his hand blaster and firing shots in the direction he warned of.

Fox turned and dove the rest of the way into bravo three, right as his position was assaulted by blasts from approaching security guards. Slippy ducked in with him and went to close and secure the door behind them via a control panel similar to the one on the other side of the wall. Fox worked his way to his feet, only to be knocked back to the ground by a similar force as he had been earlier. He had managed to land on his left side, and looked up too little surprise at the culprit. " _Damn it_ _Bill_ , _get out of here_!" Fox growled and grunted as he fought Bill's continued attempt to roll him to his front.

"I'm sorry dude, but you give me no choice when you come in here and start _killing_ Cornerian soldiers!"

Fox's fury began build. "You have _no idea_ -" With all the force he could muster, he broke free from Bill's grip and rotated himself onto his back by thrusting his left fist straight into Bill's jaw. Bill gave a sharp whine from the blow, and before he could respond, Fox brought his right knee rocketing into Bill's rump; sending the dog forward till his skull smacked the ground. "-how many of your _Cornerian_ _soldiers_ -" Fox quickly used both his arms and his right leg to toss Bill overhead; off himself. "-are about to kill _you_!"

Bill went crashing onto his back as Fox got his own feet underneath himself and searched for his rifle.

Slippy had managed to get the door closed right behind Bill, and the only light in the room currently came from the panel Slippy was working at; Fox's assault blaster had slid off somewhere in the darkness surrounding them.

Fox instantly went to pull his hand blaster, but Bill had gotten to his feet and rushed toward him just as he had it unsheathed.

Bill secured both of Fox's wrists with his hands and smashed him up against a trio of large pipes that ran vertical from the floor up toward the ceiling; causing Fox to drop his hand blaster.

Soon as Slippy had overwritten the door's lock to remain closed, he dropped the severed arm he'd been carrying and looked over to where Fox and Bill were struggling. His conscience told him to move, but his body remained put. _I know I should help…_ He thought, wrestling with his own conscience, _but Bill's right, I can't do anything! I wasn't anywhere near ready to pull the trigger back there!_ He looked down at his hand blaster. _Am I right for that? Am I the one still maintaining my sanity?_ He looked back over at Fox, observing his aggressive expression and listening in on what was being said.

Bill worked to keep Fox pinned against the pipes. "I want to believe you Fox, but that's one strong accusation; I'm gonna need _proof_." Bill growled, working to dodge Fox's attempts to kick at his legs and abdomen.

Fox took advantage of directing Bills attention downward and smashed his forehead into the roof of bill's snout; weakening him enough to knock him back with a kick to his core. "You're going to have all the _proof_ you need _within the hour_!"

Slippy gulped. _Dash Bowman… Krystal… the corrupt Cornerians…_ Slippy's grip grew tighter on his pistol. _Fox is just fighting everything pitted against him, not like he isn't trying to save Bill either…_ His grip grew shaky. _But I still can't do it, I can't threaten Bill; can't even bluff him._ Slippy was bombarded with memories of the history they all shared. They all had trained together, worked together, and played together at the Cornerian Flight Academy. Fox and Slippy had been friends long prior, but Fox met Bill towards the beginning of the academy, and the bulldog became a part of their group.

Slippy was thrown back into the present as he watched Bill catch a kick Fox sent his way and use it to bring Fox back to the ground. "You expect me to just believe that half the people in this building are going to just start _killing everyone_?!" Slippy suddenly observed the red liquid strewn across Bill's muzzle

Spine against the ground, Fox threw fists where he could land them on Bill's frame and attempted to throw him off balance. The passionate fury in Fox's eyes was inextinguishable; completely oblivious to the scarlet fluid dripping onto his face from Bill's snout. "Believe it or not, _it's happening_! Remember _Dash Bowman_?!" Fox grunted out.

Slippy clenched his fists again. _I can't just keep standing here. If Bill knew our situation, he… he would want us to fight. He would want us to try to stop Bowman. I have to do something!_ Slippy instantly started searching for the way into the sewers from the room they were in. _I may not be able to fight Bill, but I can be ready for when Fox beats him... I hope…_ He swallowed as he glanced over at the modern Bill and Fox.

Bill had frozen in place from hearing Bowman's name, and Fox used his leg to bring the bulldog's head plummeting to the ground. Fox got to his feet in a second.

Slippy began to breathe a sigh of relief, but all his oxygen left him from what came next.

"Forgive me for this…" Fox said with remorse.

Bill raised his hand in defense. " _Wait…_ "

Slippy wished he could've looked away for the bone numbing kick Fox delivered to Bill's face. He knew Fox had to gain victory over Bill somehow, but he never could have imagined it in the way that Fox did. _Bill even tried to stop him…_ Slippy's eyes danced between the fetal curled bulldog and the fox that stood above him. _This really is a nightmare…_

Slippy heard Fox call out to him as he walked over to a certain side of the room; searching the ground for something.

Slippy looked back at Bill and saw a trail of blood trickling from his mouth and down through the grated floor. After a couple seconds, he found the voice to answer. "Here…"

Fox looked in his direction, observed him, then went back to searching; instantaneously bending down and picking up a hand blaster off the ground, sheathing it as he spoke. "Alright Slippy… you have to make a choice right here." Fox kept searching the ground for another item. "If I've gone to far in your eyes… you need to take your blaster and stop me _now_." Fox leaned down and picked up the blaster rifle he was searching for.

They both were interrupted by the sound of a cutting torch getting fired up behind the door Slippy had programmed to remain closed.

Fox continued speaking, bringing Slippy's attention back to him. "But if not, I need you to accept all that I've done and keep moving."

"Or what?"

Fox came to an instant halt and looked over at Slippy.

Slippy gulped as his palms started to sweat; he clenched them tightly. "Are… a-are you going to leave m-me behind?" His voice began to rise as he spoke. "And… if I t-try to stop you, will you just t-take me out; just like _Bill there_?!"

Fox remained completely silent and still; staring with wide, stunned eyes at his brother.

Slippy clenched his teeth in terror. "Y-you know as well as I d-do that Krystal wouldn't want this… yet you persist on d-diving deeper, for her."

Fox's afflicted expression was unreadable, but by the way Fox had tensed, Slippy could tell that his words hit Fox like a bullet.

Slippy swallowed his fear to finish his sentence. "S-so brother… how much further are y- _you_ willing to go?"

The universe stood still, the air thick with terror for a silent eternity; then it was gone. Acceptance gently overcame him as Slippy felt himself violently turned away as Fox's other arm snaked around his neck and constricted.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Shepherd's abdomen burned fiercer than anything he thought possible, but it still didn't completely remove his mind from what was about to unveil on his ship. He watched in crushing disbelief as nearly half of his crew in the bridge stood and joined the predator on the walkway; all of them carrying the sub-blaster rifles that they kept at their workstations. Brotherhoods were broken as friends of the traitors learned that they had truly known nothing about their fellow comrades. The remaining loyal Cornerian soldiers stayed behind their cover, watching seemingly as helpless as the admiral felt.

Fury instantly erupted in Shepherd at the sight of pride in the unveiled Venomian soldier's expressions. Many of these soldiers he had presented awards to personally, thanking them for their selfless and dedicated service to the fleet; now he would watch as they became the very scum he worked to defend Lylat from. Shepherd looked back upon his loyal soldiers, his rage motivating him to speak words of encouragement before whatever came next. "Don't let these traitors scare you, soldiers." Shepherd fought through the urge to cough up more blood as his lungs burned from his speech. "These lying _scum_ know _nothing_ of the courage it takes to defeat the _true_ Cornerian military!"

Shepherd suddenly felt a large gloved hand wrap around the back of his neck as claws instantaneously sank into his flesh. Shepherd gritted his teeth, doing everything he could to keep from voicing his pain.

The lion's deep, steely voice boomed throughout the bridge. "Heed those words, _soldiers_ , as they flow from the mouth of the very hypocrite that has watched many of you die; whilst he lives on."

Shepherd screwed his eyes shut, clenching his teeth even stronger as the images of every group of soldiers he lost under his command began flashing before him, up to the present IRT members he had witnessed get shocked to death between two walls of his government's own technology. _Fight as their leader…_ The admiral turned his head toward the predator, ignoring his tearing flesh from the lion's claws as they sliced through his skin like paper. _Don't let them die in the presence of defeat._

Shepherd met the gaze of the hunter's mask with focused hatred in his own expression. "These animals _chose_ to entrust their lives under me, just as they chose to entrust their lives under the Cornerian military." Shepherd looked back out toward his animals. "They did not falter then, and they are not faltering now."

The admiral heard a pleased purr rising from the hunter's throat. "And now, they will die from the very corruption that has long lived inside your _entire government_."

A loud, steady, static beeping began to sound over the intercom of the bridge. The lion glanced at the lieutenant, who had already made his way down to the communications panel the sound's source information was appearing on.

The lieutenant studied the panel, then looked up at the hunter with a malicious smirk and a nod.

The lion slowly scanned over the entire bridge. Shepherd felt the predator's grip slowly tightening around his neck, the claws sliding even deeper into his flesh. Suddenly the hunter released the admiral and pushed him to the ground. Shepherd's face slapped the floor as the rest of his body went limp. Blood poured from his neck as he heard the continued muffled beeping coming from the intercoms.

Shepherd's attention was brought to the polycarbonate dome overhead the bridge as a widespread, live feed of Dash Bowman appeared. Even through blurring vision, Shepherd remembered him as clearly as he had as a Lieutenant on the day of The Storm. _So... this is it._ Shepherd thought as he was slowly losing his battle for consciousness, realizing how correct he had been on the Venomian's strategically placed forces; how they had merely been holding out for time for this to happen. Now, not even the arrival of their reinforcements would deliver them from what was here.

…

Live video feeds opened on every civilized, industrialized, and militarized planet in existence in the Lylat System. Bowman's figure and solemn expression filled city screens, communication panels, hologram tables, and domestic televisions on Corneria, Katina, Macbeth, Zoness, Fitchina and any space station or vessel under the Cornerian government; his voice carried through intercoms where visual applications were not present. Entire cities slowly ceased movement as trillions of animals turned their attention toward the display of the monster they thought dead for two years. Military facilities ceased all operations as they either saw or heard the ape's presence, including the Katina Military Intelligence HQ.

"WARNING," Dash began, mimicking the monotone used in standard emergency broadcasts. "THIS IS THE USE OF THE LYLAT EMERGENCY BROADCAST SYSTEM. THIS IS NOT A TEST."

Fox McCloud's ears picked up on Bowman's voice as he numbly dragged Slippy's limp body past the bloody, barely conscious Bill Grey to the machine room's floor hatch that would take them down to the sewers. Fox's eyes slowly screwed shut, pushing out a single tear that rolled into his cheek fur as Dash delivered his message.

"THE CORNERIAN GOVERNMENT'S CYBER SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN INFECTED WITH AN INTELLIGENT VIRUS CAUSING ALL OPERATING SYSTEMS UNDER THE CORNERIAN GOVERNMENT'S CONTROL TO BE RELIQUISHED TO THE VENOMIAN GOVERNMENT."

The lion stood completely still on the bridge's center walkway, eyes closed behind his mask, listening to Bowman give his message as a long-caged fury slowly began to revive within.

"CIVILIANS AND MILITARY ALIKE ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO LAY DOWN ANY DEFENSES AT THEIR DISPOSAL AND COMPLY WITH THE VENOMIAN GOVERNMENT'S DEMANDS. ANY RESISTANCE WILL BE MET WITH INSTANT CORRECTIVE ACTION OF ANY MEANS WITHOUT FURTHER WARNING."

Fox had the hatch open and was preparing to descend with Slippy, but stopped as he heard Bowman's threat to the Cornerian military. He glanced over at the door the IRT members continued to cut through, then shifted his eyes over to Bill.

"BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS, AS THE VENOMIAN GOVERNMENT WILL NOT CLAIM RESPONSIBILTY FOR ANY COLLATERAL DAMAGE DURING THE CHANGE OF COMMAND. YOUR COOPERATION IS APPRECIATED. ALL HAIL EMPORER BOWMAN, THE LYLAT SYSTEMS ETERNAL RULER." Bowman erupted into mad, menacing laughter as his body merrily danced around the room he broadcasted from; then the transmission went dark.

…

Silence fell over the entire bridge of cruiser Charlie-eighteen. The hunter's heart pounded, his fists were clenched, and his teeth were bared behind his mask. He was now in complete control to give the execution order for all the soldiers loyal to the Cornerian government.

The black rat's low, scratchy voice filled his head and pulled him from the moment. "You think I'm your target, you _think_ I'm the despicable _monster_ behind these operations." Geming gave a short, raspy chuckle. " _Fool_ , I'm merely a sewer rat that was conditionally enabled by the very government that sent you to extract me."

Guardian five stood behind a blast resistant glass window surrounded by a concrete wall. Underneath the window was a table covered in documents the hunter had yet to read. The rest of the room was made entirely of solid rock; minus a solid, window-less concrete door to the rear of the cave. Through the glass Guardian five stood before was Geming, and behind Geming was a toned and graciously curved female snow leopard that had been stripped down to her black undergarments, muzzled, and secured to a flat steel table with steel restraints across her wrists, upper body, legs, and her ankles; this was Guardian ten. Her diamond white irises glistened through her disgusted expression at the rodent that was her captor.

Guardian five kept it hidden, but he was overwhelmed with pride how she lay seemingly fearless in the rat's possession. Carts filled with surgery tools surrounded her and a bright light hung above her. Geming's entire side of the cave was set up to be an operating area on portable, white outdoor flooring; yet Guardian ten appeared unfazed by all of it.

Geming stepped toward the window, his voice coming from an intercom unit placed in a corner of Guardian five's portion of the cave. "It's all right in front of you, Guardian: traded intelligence, quid pro quo; including falsified backgrounds. Oh yes, those weren't me. Those were _provided_ to me by the Cornerians so that I could set up shop with my own security and work under the radar. I was their eyes underground, my ring and I _worked with_ them to bring down groups that they considered more pertinent to them at the time."

Guardian five held Geming's apparently bored gaze for a moment longer before looking down and scanning through the different documents, finding that each item the rat had mentioned was present. Some of it was even dated within the last month.

"We're on the same side, you and I."

Guardian five's eyes snapped up to Geming's and stared and him murderously.

The black rat continued, unfazed. " _Yes_ , you know the only reason you were sent after me? I'd outlived my usefulness." Geming picked up a long scalpel from one of the trays. "So there you both were, the Cornerian government's hand reaching out to pull me from existence."

Guardian five crumpled the paper in his hand. "This all could've been forged by you."

Geming shrugged as he walked behind the table Guardian ten was strapped to, facing the lion again as he stopped. "Do your research Guardian, think of what you just witnessed. Your military is deeply involved in politics, which means they operate mainly off what is considered Corneria's best future _and financial_ interests. They knew you'd refuse to leave your-" Geming looked lustfully at Guardian ten, who merely rolled her eyes at him. "stunning partner," The black rat returned his emotionless stare to Guardian five, "behind. So, they attempted to sedate you so you'd have no choice; but by the crash I take it you fought back." He ended, using the scalpel to gesture toward Guardian five.

The lion recalled every word up to the crash, everything else was dark until he woke up in his current confinement. Shock sparked in his heart as he lifted his black shirt up to see where he'd been shot in his abdomen, but all he saw was a hairless patch of his own skin; any trace of the burn gone, and only a hint of the agonizing pain remained. _You're first mistake._ Guardian five thought with a hungry vengeance.

Geming merely smirked at his captive's movements. "Neither of you know any more than I already do, and they always have _numerous_ fit candidates ready to train to become Guardian Angel's; thus, they have no benefit in trying to recover a missing asset." Geming began slowly tracing just above Guardian ten's fur with the scalpel, this time her muscles tensed wherever the blade hovered over; her face trying to conceal the growing fear inside of her. The black rat revealed a slight smirk. "But I do."

Guardian five instinctively threw himself at the window, attempting to punch through the glass with all his might; the glass didn't even vibrate.

Geming looked up at the lion, acting as if he hadn't even noticed his attempted entry. "You may hate me for this, but just think: none of us would be here had your government kept from dealing under the table. I'm not the only ring they have in their deck, I'm just the one they decided to squeeze; _I_ retaliated, and I'm not even _done_." Geming stepped away from Guardian ten and walked toward Guardian five. "We're on the same side, you and I. Together, we're going to bring the loss they ignore and lay it right before their eyes. Once the message is written, I'm charging you with the responsibility of delivering it. I'd highly suggest using a method that lets all of Corneria know what its government is responsible for."

Guardian five erupted into a fury of attacks, throwing fist after fist into the glass; ceasing only to slam his entire body into it.

The black rat stood completely calm with an almost sympathetic expression on his face. "I know… it's tragic what must be done, but you still have a chance for vengeance against them; vengeance I myself am not powerful or skilled enough to take. Deliver my message, make the entire system of Lylat aware of who oversees their safety and security, then do whatever it takes to stop them from making the same mistakes again."

The lion switched to the concrete door toward the back of the cave, using his claws to try and grip the small crack that separated the door from the frame, but to no avail. He began punching and kicking at the concrete, drawing blood from his knuckles as the solid door didn't even chip.

"I'm entrusting you with this Guardian, make things right."

The lion tore across the room and slammed his entire body against the glass, staring into Geming's eyes as if to pierce into them. "You do this, I will hunt you beyond the infinite universe we reside in. There is no distance you go that I will not find you, then leave you to commit suicide as the only other option would be to live with the _permanent suffering_ I brought upon you." The lion hissed.

"I have no doubt you'd find me." Geming replied calmly, walking over to the side of the window and placing his hand on a button on the concrete wall. "But you'll waste precious time killing a sewer rat that only could do this because the Cornerian government gave him the power to do so. They're your real target Guardian, think on that as you listen to the consequence of _their_ actions." Saying nothing further, he pressed the button causing a steel blind to slowly creep down the window toward its base. Geming looked into the Lion's eyes one last time before turning away and walking toward Guardian ten, who looked over at Guardian five with terror she no longer could contain.

Guardian five lowered with the blind to keep eye contact with her as long as possible. He yearned to speak words of comfort, but his voice wouldn't act; the ends of his mouth only twitched violently with his frantic expression. Overwhelmed with utter defeat, the lion simply placed his large padded palm on the window and gazed into her eyes as loving and comforting as he could.

Guardian ten's expression suddenly transformed, returning Guardian five's gaze with one of equal comfort: determination. He could almost hear her voice in his head as her brow furrowed and her mouth curved into a smile beneath her muzzle. _Don't worry, I'll take this. They wouldn't have let me become a guardian angel if I couldn't._ The blind closed.

Seconds later, Guardian ten's voice had suddenly come over the intercom. "About time you removed that, now I can insult your coned, two toothed face the whole way!"

The black rat's light chuckle followed. "I suggest saving your voice, you may not even have one left once I've _written_ everything."

"This Angel's expressive, and she's going to make sure she gets everything off her mind before the good Lord takes her." There was a slight pause, but the lion's throat tightened at what she said next, knowing it was meant for him. _"Over."_

For the first time he could remember, a single tear escaped the lion's eye and fell to the ground. _Good girl, Angel…_ _Good girl…_

For the next hour, the lion was forced to listen to the hissing and screams from Guardian ten as she suffered at her tormenters hand. Guardian five transitioned from going utterly numb, to violently throwing fists, kicks, and himself against the window and exit door in continued attempts to break through. He knew he could destroy the speaker in his cell at any point, but he refused.

The predator opened his tearing eyes, taking in the faces of the military that fought for the traitorous government that had contributed to her suffering. _I might have saved her had it not been for you... Now, I will finally avenge her torment!_ The hunter raised his supporting hand in the air, and signaled to reign fire. The turrets above, followed by the rifles of the soldiers standing beside him on the bridge, began ripping into the workstations below, ending the lives of those loyal to Corneria as they returned fire and moved to remain in cover; making a final attempt to fight back. The lion raised his rifle and began picking off any targets he could see. _Their execution begins now, my Angel,_ the hunter thought vengefully, _your suffering will no longer go unanswered._

….

Private Lory sat completely still, his mind had all but collapsed as he stared blankly at his master chief that had already fallen victim to the ruthless betrayal; whilst the remaining survivors did what they could to evade their own inevitable fates. Out of the corner of the Aussie's empty gaze, he caught sight of the Beagle lieutenant he had served under wearing an openly conceited smirk as he steadily fired at the remaining loyal Cornerians.

Lory's stomach resumed its fierce churning. _Why is this happening?!_ He slowly looked directly above him, observing the front sides of all the other Venomians who were bringing this hell upon them. Lory saw the black lab he had been working with before the intruder appeared on the bridge; he saw the intruder himself firing shot after shot from his sniper rifle, never missing his target.

Lastly, he saw his admiral: Shepherd. Shepherd lay as still as Lory had, blood slowly drained out his mouth and streamed through the thick fur on his neck, but his eyes still held life as they remained locked on the carnage happening before him; his gaze was utterly distraught. Lory's eyes scanned over the additional soldiers he knew and had enjoyed many conversations and memorable events with on Charlie Eighteen, his eyes falling back to the black lab, and then the lieutenant who stood a mere three meters to his right; blissfully lost in his actions.

An internal fire sparked inside Lory. He glanced to his left and saw his own sub-blaster rifle laying by his feet. _There's no happy ending here… I'm going to die._ He looked back over at the Lieutenant, the fire quickly building to a blaze.

…

Fox gently slid Slippy's body off his shoulder and laid him on his back on the cold, moist, moss infested grated floor that lay adjacent to a closed, in-ground rusted steel door leading to the vast water supply tunnel that would be their escape. Darkness hid the rest of the room around him; the only light he had was from the flashlight built into the rifle slung on his back.

Fox proceeded to stand up straight, but his somber gaze remained locked on Slippy. Fox's eyes didn't move a millimeter behind the shadows cast on his empty expression. The entire area around them was motionless; only the calm and silent rise and fall of Slippy's chest was alive in the darkness. _'When I tell you that you're like a brother to me, there should be no doubt.'_

Countless memories flashed through Fox's head of the sacrifices Slippy had made for him over the years. From sharing his room for the rest of Fox's youth after losing his parents, to risking his life for the mission of team Star Fox. The very fact that Slippy had agreed to become a member was a sacrifice that Fox always considered the ultimate. 

Slippy was the first and only animal to know prior to Fox's abandonment of the Cornerian Flight Academy course; as well as the only to receive an offer from Fox to join him. Slippy had been shocked when he found out that Fox wasn't going to even tell Bill.

"I'm not going to risk letting him in on this; I know he'd join if I asked. He has a future here, I'm not about to take that away from him..." Fox stated with earnest passion as he and Slippy stood by a bunk in Slippy's dorm.

"And we don't?" Slippy asked.

Fox's eyes flashed with realization, displaying instant conviction. "I… I'm sorry Slippy… I didn't mean it that way. I know _I_ don't, but I should've never suggested you don't either…" He looked down at the ground.

"Come on Fox," Slippy bartered, "You can be just as successful as Grey-"

"-if I become the perfect soldier." Fox cut in, looking Slippy in the eye. "Fall in line, play Simon says, and pray that one day I be put on the strike team against Andross."

Slippy shut his mouth and stared down at the floor; feeling stupid for spacing Fox's motivation for joining the Cornerian Flight Academy.

Fox continued, keeping his voice low to avoid any eavesdroppers in the neighboring rooms and hallways. "I may not even get the killing shot. I'm _selfish_ Slippy; Peppy's offered me a way that I can hunt him down myself. I need to kill him for what he did to both my father _and_ my mother; I won't rest until I do."

Slippy thought deeply on Fox's words before breathing a sigh. "You know, I keep trying; but I don't really have much of a future here anyway…"

Fox placed his hand on Slippy's shoulder. "Look, please don't start getting that idea in your head because of what I said; I was wrong. Stay here, keep chasing your dream. I've never doubted that you can become an extraordinary pilot!" He finished by giving Slippy's shoulder a light, spirit lifting push as he released it.

Slippy shrugged. "I'm a mechanic Fox… That's my gift, it's time I accepted it. I'd be honored to work with you and Peppy, keep you up and running and give you the tools you need to accomplish your dream."

Fox's expression turned serious. "I won't lie, I _really_ could use you, but I need you to realize what I'm getting into. My father and Peppy did build some ties with the military, but not everything they did was under their approval. They had to keep making money for sustainment; sometimes that meant doing a job that was considered criminal by the Cornerian government's standards."

Slippy was taken back. "I thought they only took jobs that withheld the Cornerian Justice System?"

Fox smirked. "They only took jobs that upheld _justice_ ; but every now and then they'd take a job that the _Cornerian_ Justice System would consider rash, irresponsible, unreasonable, unnecessary; I can go on." Fox walked over to the window in Slippy and he's dorm room, musing over his father's history as he observed the clear, sunny sky that stretched over an abundance of towering structures with countless military and civilian spacecraft flying to-and-fro throughout the Cornerian base. "But, that also held _benefit_ to the military. My dad had become good friends with General Pepper when he served in the Cornerian army, and Pepper knew that my dad could be trusted with defending lives. So, the general authorized Star Fox to be contracted as a mercenary team; using them as an essential suicide squad to take on missions that the Cornerian government needed to further their goals, but held too many unnecessary risks for them to handle themselves."

Sadness flowed into Fox's expression. "That's exactly how my father died… They sent him and Peppy in to investigate the mysterious transmissions and activity they had been picking up on Venom. The government had no idea what threat awaited them, but didn't want to waste military resources until Corneria knew what it was up against. So… Star Fox stepped up to the plate."

Slippy looked at Fox questionably. "And… you want to continue said _suicide squad_?"

Fox's smirk returned as he looked at Slippy. "I don't blame the Cornerian government for my father's death. He liked the rule-free life, handling matters how he saw fit, not having to worry about if it would stand against some military or government official's beliefs. As far as the scouting mission on Venom, I saw it in his eyes the day he left; he wanted to go... He wanted the very same revenge that I now want." Fox's eye's peered at the ground as he started speaking through clenched teeth. "That son of a bitch has now taken _both my parents_!" He growled, slamming his fist against the wall. "I'll do _anything_ to make sure he's next!" Fox fell quiet, closing his eyes as he worked to slow his breathing.

A few moments passed, then Fox felt Slippy's hand placed on his shoulder. "Alright, you've sold me."

Fox glanced over at Slippy worriedly. "Just... take some time to think on it Slippy. I truly meant it when I said you still have a future here."

Slippy smiled as his voice rose a little in nervous excitement. "Just one question, are we… like, going _AWOL_?!"

Fox's eyes anxiously widened as he instantly put his finger to his lips. "You're gonna get us lavatory duty for a _month_!" He hissed, continuing in a steady whisper. "No; no _AWOL_. Like I said, my father and Peppy have very close connections with General Pepper. Peppy's already gotten the General to agree to get me quietly discharged, and at my request he thinks the General would get a couple people I'd trust to take with me as well. But Slippy, this is a sudden decision from you; I really think you should think on it."

Slippy giggled, embarrassed by his outburst. " _Too late_ , you've got me all excited now!" He exclaimed as quietly as he could. "Besides, what kind of brother would I be if I just let you go off and face all the fun and danger on your own?"

Slippy's last statement echoed in Fox's mind as the damp, cold darkness returned. His shadowed, somber expression remained unchanged as he stood staring at his unconscious friend.

Bill Grey stepped into the illuminated area of Fox's rifle-mounted flashlight and stood just to the rear of Fox's left side, musing at Fox for a few moments before joining him in staring at Slippy. "You know…" Bill began slowly, his echoing tone hinting that he was putting attentive thought into his statement, "it doesn't take much to see that you still beat the living _shit_ out of yourself for your mistakes." Bill honed his tone to isolate the supportive and understanding sound. "Can't blame you after everything I've learned in the past three minutes, but it's not going to help you get out of this."

Fox turned to Bill and looked directly in his eyes, his emotionless expression preceding his weak, flat tone. "Don't… Not this time." Fox stepped past Bill and began walking the platform they stood on, using the light from his blaster rifle to visually inspect the couples of generators and large industrial pipes that were built on the grounds; seemingly mapping out his surroundings.

Bill turned and followed, thinking of ways to enter Fox's mind and alleviate his inner demons. " _Dude_ , you're getting your buddy out of here safe whether he likes it or not." Bill wiped the remaining blood from his snout as he added, "As for me, had I known what you were up against, I would've _never_ put myself in front of your blaster."

Fox answered Bill without even looking at him; his volume growing stronger. "We've got Bowman's soldiers coming down that ladder any second. You want to help me? Pick up Slippy's pistol and take up a firing position. If not, then you're just an annoyance as far as I'm concerned."

Bill let the cold reply roll off his shoulder, understanding the numb sensation Fox was undergoing. "Fox, when it comes to you and me, all you have to do is ask. You already have my paw in this, but we're going to be far more effective if you let me inside your head; _I can help you_."

Fox stopped dead in his tracks and turned back on Bill faster and harder than he had the first time, his voice darker than Bill had ever heard from him. "I just had my best friend, my own _brother_ , tell me that he refused to go any further because I had gone too far and was blind to all the damage I was causing." Fox's words erupted into a growl. " _What the hell kind of help do you think you can offer me_?!"

Bill kept his caring demeanor as he opened his mouth to respond.

" _I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!"_ Fox instantly cut him off, his growl resonating throughout the surrounding darkness. "All I want from you is your ability to shoot! Whether it be at them or me, I don't care; but _shut up_ , and _PICK ONE_!

Bill held Fox's fierce expression, noticing the equal amount of pure desperation that burned in them; realizing that Fox had completely abandoned himself and was only fighting for those he cared about. Before he could make any more attempts, both Bill and Fox looked toward the nerve spiking sound of the IRT bursting through the door above and heading towards the hatch the three of them had descended through. Bill grabbed Fox's shoulder, getting both Fox's attention and his blaster rifle barrel pointed straight at his chest.

Bill raised a hand in show of peace. "Turn off that light, wait for them to throw any projectiles, then turn your light on and post at the base of the ladder. Your light will handicap the night vision I bet my _bone_ they'll be using. Don't let a single one of them get down here without _falling_." He finished with a smirk before sprinting towards Slippy; in search of his hand blaster.

Fox acted without argument. Bill had never been an actual infantrymale, but through the bulldog's father, simulation training, and his very own mindset, he thought and fought like one. Fox doused his flashlight and took cover behind one of the generators as the sound of multiple flash grenades dropped and spread across the floor. Fox closed his eyes and waited for the explosions, then switched his light on, aimed at the ladder opening, and opened fire as he began walking toward its base. He stopped and kneeled about two meters from it to avoid placing himself anywhere near directly underneath the opening. He could see a body or two trying to get a shot on him between his firing blasts, but he made sure to keep up his blast rate enough to keep them at bay.

One end of a black rope suddenly dropped through the opening and hit the floor, its slack forming a coil on the grated ground. Fox knew they were planning to rappel in at rapid speed.

"Stay right there, Fox; and aim at their feet! Hit em with everything you got!" Bill shouted a few meters to his side.

Fox's adrenaline had his heart racing as it sent his blood sprinting through his veins and pulsing in his ears. He quickly changed out the power cells in his rifle, instantaneously observing a few more flash grenades drop through the opening that went off the moment he saw them. _Damn it! They charged them!_ Fox instinctively dove away from the ladder and rolled until his vision cleared; he had been blind for five seconds. As he regained his vision, Bill's blaster fire illuminated the rope as the first body crumpled on the ground with two more currently under fire as they descended.

Fox joined in firing at the bodies' legs and arms while their attention was off him; successfully bringing them both plummeting to the floor.

Bill instantly sprinted from his cover toward the barely conscious IRT members. "Keep your sights trained on that opening Fox! I'm going to start equipping their gear, you're doing the same once I'm done!"

Fox complied as Bill reached the bodies and ripped their helmets off. "This is what you get dudes; for betraying your own _blood!_ " He sentenced as he permanently extinguished each of their lives.

Fox continued his cover fire on the opening as Bill dragged away the corpse closest to his size and hastily began removing and equipping their armor; only bothering with the core plates and helmet. Bill had it on in ten seconds, pocketed a couple flash and shock grenades, as well as a few power cells before picking up the soldier's specialized blaster rifle with a hybrid holographic/thermal site.

"Alright Fox, go!" Bill ordered as he took up position near the ladder base and relieved Fox of giving cover fire. "Move fast, won't be long till amphibious fighters show up! And keep your light at the ground now; I've got their night vision!"

Fox darted to the bodies and found one that was slightly bigger than him, but it was the best fit of the remaining two. He dragged it with his open hand over to cover, the weight of the dog noticeably taking a toll on his arm, yet he ignored the pain as he began throwing the armor on.

" _FETCH_ BOYS!" He heard Bill Grey shout, followed shortly by an explosion, then intensified electricity flowing through the room above accompanied by the whimpering and yelps of the soldiers still in it; the blue bolts casting their own chaotic glow on the sewer walls. Bill suddenly rounded the corner where Fox was working; excitement beaming from his face. " _Ohhh_ , that was _beaaast_!" He ended with a deep growl. "I threw a shock grenade right up into their hole; fried them _senseless_!"

Fox wished he could, but he shared no joy in Bill's accomplishment. "How do you find this so easy?" He asked, fitting his ears into the helmet's ear slots best he could before securing it to his head. The visor activated, giving him a glowing, green hued view of the entire room. Fox turned off his rifle light and proceeded to check the visor to make sure everything functioned properly. The visor was similar to the eyepiece on his own headset; read outs and charts of all sorts appeared on the transparent green screen, it was just a matter of figuring out what controlled what.

"Did you ever feel remorse when you shot down any of Andross' forces?" Bill asked with innocent curiosity.

"No more than the healthy mind." Fox replied as he came to terms with the visor, secured two flash grenades to his belt, and exchanged the power cells in his left cargo pocket with the ones he pulled from the IRT corpse.

"That's what these dogs are now. All throughout this base, throughout the _universe_ , they are now trying to kill any of _my brothers_ that are still loyal to Lylat, including _you_. So if I have to _kill them_ to protect my brethren, I'll kill _every, last, one of them_ till the Cornerian Military has been purged of its traitors."

"Then _w_ _ake up_ Bill!" Fox barked. "You're looking at the one that _lit the fuse_!"

Bill paused, yet his expression was unreactive towards Fox's outburst. "What'd you do Fox?" Bill asked. "Do you really think Bowman needed you so badly that had you refused, his whole plan would've fallen through?"

Fox went to rebuttal, but his words caught in his throat as he began to realize the point of Bill's question.

"He had to of already had all this in place, years and years of work set in stone. Are you really the _only one_ that he could use to kick it all off?"

Fox thought of Dash's assassin. He thought of all the other soldiers that came and went from the facility. He thought of all the different methods Dash could've used to get that chip inside the headquarters.

Bill placed his hand on Fox's shoulder. "Buddy, take this with a grain of salt: _Stop_ giving yourself _so much credit_."

Fox almost chuckled, yet his mind still cogitated over why he was even there. Fox was reminded of Venom and the supernatural force that roamed the planet's grounds; all the nightmares it had inflicted on him. The voice of his father simultaneously echoed in his head. _'This place has a long-deprived thirst for your blood... It wants you to suffer… It wants you dead.'_ A nearly overwhelming sense of doom awakened inside him as his father's voice grew stronger. _'Your greatest trial yet is approaching.'_

"Right on Schedule!" Bill yelled as he opened fire, pulling Fox from his thoughts. "Two cruisers rising from the pool, each loaded with six deployable IRT troops; shoot them first!"

Fox dashed to the other end of the generator and peered out towards the steel doors that had retracted, observing the couple short, bullet shaped, two-man fighters, with personnel benches mounted to both sides and duel short rearward swept wings built on the rear of the craft, rise from the water beneath. The personnel benches were loaded with three masked IRT members each that were strapped to the sides of the aircraft. Equally concerning were the dual turrets that shortly extended the front of the craft.

Fox's visor automatically targeted the three soldiers in his sight and he joined Bill in firing at the Venomians. He couldn't tell if he had hit any before he had to duck back behind the generator as the amphibious jets began hammering high powered lasers into their cover.

Bill locked eyes with Fox. "Sprint to that generator farthest to the rear, act as oversight and make sure none of them sneak up on me!" He ordered.

Fox rushed toward where the ladder was, ensuring that he kept the large obstacles on the platform between himself and the spacecraft. The amphibious jets were small enough for the open area above the in-ground water supply, but they wouldn't be able to weave between the obstacles on the platform without crashing. As he approached the ladder, he caught site of two more IRT soldiers sliding down the rope. Fox raised his rifle at the first red diamond his visor painted and hit the limbs perfectly. Fox was amazed at the control of the IRT weaponry as he dove to his side, barely dodging the second soldier's fire as one blast skimmed his helmet.

Fox took aim, but Bill made the shot first. "Sorry! Kinda forgot about the rope…! Come here!" Fox looked over at Bill who had taken cover behind a three, large pipe line up, with hardly a few decimeter gap between each, that was further back from the generator they had previously been at.

Fox reached it in seconds as Bill took aim and blasted at the first IRT member to round the generator. "Back to back Fox! Help me when you can, but keep a sharp eye on that ladder!"

Fox checked the opening briefly, found no movement, then eyed the opposing side of the generator that Bill was covering. A second later, two more IRT members attempted to advance over the top. Fox rained blasts at both, wounding one and sending the other ducking back behind his cover.

Bill had successfully taken down his targets and was waiting for the next group. "They're smart, constantly be on the lookout for a change in tactics. Flash-bangs are useless at this point, just pray they don't toss a load of shock grenades!"

Fox hadn't thought about how the visors attached to the helmets they now wore were flash resistant. A stab of fear hit him at the thought of the IRT deciding to fry the whole room. Slippy abruptly entered Fox's mind. " _FUCK_!" Fox spat, trying to catch a glimpse of where he left his friend lying, but he was hidden behind a generator that blocked Fox's view of him. _Lylat, please think he's already dead!_

Bill was unable to recognize Fox's outburst as three more IRT soldiers tore from both sides of the generators, and two more climbed over the top of it. "They're rushing us Fox!"

Fox instantly raised his rifle at the three that were coming around to the side opposing where Bill was focused, sweeping his fire at their feet. Fox hit two of them while the third dove and rolled to a kneeling position and returned fire, forcing Fox to pull back behind his cover. Suddenly, a flurry of shots hammered into his armored back; slamming him to the ground. Fox drove himself to swiftly roll to his side and continue firing at the feet of his original target, making the shot before the soldier could. Fox rolled to his back and searched through the piping for what shot at him, seeing one of the soldiers approaching with his aim locked on him.

Fox quickly rolled out of his view behind the large metal tube as the blasts tore through the grated floor where he had initially been. Leaping to his feet, Fox held tight against the pipe with his rifle trained on whatever was about to round the corner. Faster than he could comprehend, a hand grabbed his rifle, pulled it up and around the head of the IRT soldier that came around with it; proceeded by a bright-lit, humming blade aiming for Fox's neck.

Fox let go of the rifle with his right hand and used it to block the knife, swiftly following with a forward kick to the IRT member's core. The soldier stumbled back as both of them dropped Fox's rifle. Fox backed away to keep distance between he and the soldier. _This dog can kill me in half a second!_

The soldier rushed him, thrusting the glowing blade at his stomach as Fox thrust his core rearward. The soldier took advantage of Fox's move by sending a reverse spin kick to his head, knocking Fox to the ground. Fox's helmet helped lessen the blow's toll as he instantly rolled with the momentum of his fall, escaping the blazing blade that the soldier plummeted between the grates; slicing through a few of them. While Fox got to his feet, he pulled a flash grenade from the clip on his belt and set his index and middle finger through the pin's pull ring.

As he turned to face the IRT member, Fox used his right leg to launch a lengthy kick in the soldier's direction. The soldier caught it, and Fox's heart leapt as the dog plunged the searing knife into Fox's upper, outer thigh. Fox yelped as he instinctively thrust his left leg into the soldier's chest, freeing his right leg from both the blade and the soldier's grasp as Fox's body struck the floor flat. Fox fought to keep his head in the fight, pulling the grenade pin as the soldier lunged at him; blade raised high in the air. Fox swung his free arm to smack the incoming blade to the side, battling the painful impact of the entire IRT dog's weight smashing down on him as he shoved the small cylinder into the soldier's helmet. Fox closed his eyes, shielded his face and turned just before the bang went off; feeling its impact and all the blood that splattered with it.

The blast knocked the body off to Fox's side, who refused to lie there for even a moment as he rolled to his side and took in his surroundings. First, he noticed the still humming knife that the IRT soldier had assaulted him with. He grabbed it and switched it off, securing it in the rear waist of his pants after the blade dissipated.

Next Fox looked for Bill. The bulldog was focused on keeping one of the IRT members pinned behind a different pipe toward were Slippy was, as well as engaging in a firefight with the second soldier that had advanced over the generator. Fox went to leap to his feet but was brought right back down, howling from the cramping pain of the muscles in his leg that had been severed. _Lylat please no, PLEASE!_

Fox fought to stand again, but the muscles in his leg began seizing; bringing him back to the ground. Fox grit his teeth as he slammed his fist into the floor with a loud growl _. I've come all this way… I'm not going down now! I'M NOT!_ Fox looked over at Grey as visions of Krystal's suffering clouded his mind and her tormented scream filled his ears. " _Not now_ … I'm not _fucking_ going down _now_!" Fox placed both his palms on the floor and pulled both his feet underneath him, ordering his brain to rewire its commands to whatever muscles his right leg had left. Once standing, he limped towards Bill as fast as he could, announcing himself as he approached so not to get a blast from Grey himself. "If you missed me, I'm back."

"I certainly didn't miss whatever you did to that sucker!" Bill said through a thrilled chuckle.

" _I_ don't even know what that was…" Fox murmured as he snatched up his blaster rifle and swung its barrel over to the direction of the soldier that was dashing around in the open; attempting to get different angles on Grey. The soldier caught sight of Fox and took aim, allowing Bill the opportunity to finally get his killing shot.

"YEEE _AAAH_!" Bill growled victoriously with a fist pump from his supporting hand, quickly returning his attention to the soldier he had pinned down.

Fox smirked as he began working his way around to where he could see the remaining soldier and hopefully: Slippy. All movement ceased when the sound of clanking and rolling metal hit multiple spots on the grated ground. Each grenade ignited, encasing the entire room with bolts of electricity that sent all occupants into a violent seizure; Fox's mind lost all sanity as the visor's night vision glitched out. The next thing he knew he was back on the ground, fading in and out of a pitch-dark reality and unconsciousness.

Suddenly, an intense flurry of bright red laser fire began tearing through the room, revealing a Venomian soldier in a Cornerian flight uniform that was approaching him, blaster pistol trained on Fox's head. The shots burned through the pilot before he reached Fox, as well as tore into any of the surrounding metal objects. Fox stared in confusion at the chaos before he drifted back into darkness.

His eyes opened again to complete blackness throughout the room other than the orange glow of the heated metal edges and the rising smoke from the different generators and pipes that had been fired upon. The darkness returned.

The next time Fox's eyes opened, he saw a bright flash light approaching him, with Falco right behind it. He carried his fully equipped, tricked out, loaded blaster rifle; one of the items being the tactical light. Falco knelt at Fox's side and grasped the back of his head, pulling off his helmet. "You okay? _Fox_?!"

Fox closed his eyes in heightened relief before his memory returned, spiking his anxiety. " _Slippy! Bill_!" He jolted awake, and began working to his hands and knees. "They're… here… need to be okay!"

Falco scanned the room with his light. "Bill's over there, seems like he's coming too. Where'd you last see Slip'?!"

Fox looked around best he could in his dazed state, wobbly pointing in the general direction of where he had left him.

Falco shone the light in the same direction and gave a relieved smile. "Looks like he'll make it too."

Fox's gaze shot back up and saw Slippy staggering out from behind the generator he had left him behind. Relief flooded him again, almost causing his muscles to give; though his nerves tensed as uncertainty replaced his comfort over how Slippy would respond to him. His uncertainty was confirmed when Slippy stopped and stared at Fox, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and pain.

Bill's movement pulled Slippy's attention as Grey successfully got to his feet. "Well, at least I know what _that_ feels like now." He said with the same thrilled chuckle he had before as he pulled off his fried helmet. Suddenly he winced from immense pain. " _Mmmph_! This _headache_ …"

Slippy became slightly confused as his glance travelled back and forth between Bill and Fox.

Fox didn't dare speak or make any kind of motion to Slippy, he would accept whatever form of judgement his brother chose to give him. For the time being, Fox chose to acknowledge Bill. "You certainly called that one." He said as he took the feathered hand Falco offered. "Thank Lyl _AAA_!" Fox hollered in agony as the cramping and seizing in his leg returned, sending him to the knee of his injured leg.

Falco knelt with him and began anxiously looking him over. "What was _that_ all about?!"

" _Nothing_." Fox growled, forcing his nerves to forget the pain as he got himself back on his feet.

"That gash in your leg don't look like _nothing_." Falco said, analyzing the large, seared opening.

"I'm _glad_ you _came_ when you _did_." Fox snarled, forcing the conversation to move along.

Falco grunted in frustration. "I'll just add it to the long list of times I've saved your _pelt_. You're letting me carry you to the Tadpole."

Fox ignored Falco before turning back towards Slippy.

Slippy appeared to be milling the whole situation over, then he proceeded to look over at Grey. " _What happened_ …?"

Fox felt a sharp stab from Slippy looking towards Bill for guidance.

Bill smiled at Slippy. "Fox and I kicked tail and took tags, until we needed some help from this bird." Bill stated, walking over to Falco with an outstretched hand.

"This _bird_ has a name." Falco said as he took Bill's hand; allowing himself to be pulled into a brief, casual hug.

"Good to see you again Falco." Bill said upon releasing him.

"You're lookin good Bill, any bling underneath the armor?"

Bill chuckled with a nod. "Each one has its own unique story too."

"You'll have to tell me what a fighter pilot like you is doing in a place like this; if our next visit isn't on a time table."

"Ya bro."

Slippy stood confused, glancing at Fox; whom waited nervously waiting for his temperament towards him. Slippy's stare went blank as he shrugged. "I… guess a lot happened while I was out?"

Fox's gaze fell to the ground as he searched for words. "Uh… yeah… nothing short of Dash making the official announcement of his newfound control of Lylat… but, Bill and I did manage to fight off what was sent after us."

Slippy appeared briefly overwhelmed but ended up just accepting the situation. "Well… I guess you have a knack for quickly making peace after knocking friends out." He playfully poked.

Fox knew Slippy was just teasing him, but those words couldn't have stung worse. " _I'm sorry_ …" He began, screwing his eyes shut tight, "I just refuse to leave you behind. Amanda would kill me if I hadn't already done myself in."

Slippy looked down at the ground. "I… I don't really know _how_ to respond to what's happened… I guess I just… need some time…"

Fox's heart was crushed; helpless to feeling that he had just lost Slippy. He was completely unable to meet his brother's eyes as his peripheral vision caught Slippy look up at him.

"What's important is you _did_ get us out, including Bill." Slippy added, looking over in Grey's direction; who was currently approaching them.

"Well dude," He started, looking warmly at Fox. "Seems like you have someplace to be."

Fox's expression grew deeply grave as the weight of his mission instantly returned. He had forgotten everything other than his immediate surroundings. "Will you come with us?" He asked hurriedly; looking up at Bill.

"You're in good hands now, the rest of my brothers need me here."

"You'll be walking into a slaughterhouse." Fox argued.

"Then I'll die with them." Bill said proudly. "As you would die with yours." He finished, glancing over at Slippy.

Fox sighed in surrender. "Thank you Bill… for everything."

"Don't mention it bro." He said, giving Fox a light pat on the back. "Safe flying." Bill finished, flipping on his rifle light as he turned and headed back towards the ladder from whence they came.

"Safe travels." Fox replied before turning to Falco. "Ready?"

Falco studied him. "What did Dash end up having you steal?"

"Nothing. Long story. I'll tell you on the way out."

Falco had tried to enter at the end of each statement, but Fox spoken to fast for him. Falco exhaled through his nostrils in silent frustration. "You're still giving me your arm."

"I've still got to save her Falco; I'm going to have to learn to push through it." Fox stated as he started limping in the direction of the Tadpole; using the light from the rifle he still carried to guide his way.

Falco forced himself under Fox's rifle arm and manipulated it so Fox was involuntarily using Falco as support. "R.O.B.'s got a few tricks that can fix you up once you're back on the Fox, till then: you're being carried."

Fox sighed in irritated defeat. "Guess I didn't think of that…"

Bill had stopped in his tracks and turned back towards them at Fox's first statement. "You have a _damsel_ to save Fox?! Is it that blue vixen?"

Falco butted in. "Ho yeah! He's not only gotten down with her _before_ me, but she still has yet to even _glance_ at _my_ co-pilot."

"So she's a smart beauty then?" Bill snickered.

"Heh heh; fuck you." Was the blue falcon's flat reply.

Fox ignored it all and looked back at Bill's illuminated silhouette as he, Falco, and Slippy reached the pool where the Tadpole awaited. "I'll tell you everything if we both survive."


	15. Chapter 15

(If this story fails to hook you, please leave me even a one-sentence review of why. Something more than "it sucked" but no obligation for paragraphs of detailed information. Just a summed-up point of what you were looking for and how I failed to meet it. I give my word you will receive no harassment in return.)

Chapter 15

Fox's body swiftly became immersed in rippling waves of dark blue light, flooding the white illumination coming from the Tadpole's control panel as the amphibious fighter submerged itself in the water supply tunnel; taking off into the dark, murky waters. Falco doused all the fighter's exterior lights and activated the Tadpole's three-sixty sonar vision to travel as covertly as possible through all the twists and turns that lay ahead. The sonar vision blackened each window, dousing the outside waters blue hue and replacing it with a strict black and white world; leaving the entire cockpit barely lit with the control panel's white light.

Slippy sat across from Fox in the vessel's small passenger compartment behind the pilot's seat; holding a maximum capacity of four. Fox sat staring a hole into the floor, still unable to make any eye contact with Slippy. He and the frog hadn't exchanged a single word or glance since they had found their spots on the tadpole, and Fox hadn't the heart to try; Slippy had spoken his mind, now all Fox could do was wait and see whether his brother would come to forgive and forget all his sins. _First Krystal… now you… and I might be losing Bill..._

The bulldog's departing silhouette was all Fox could see when he thought of his friend and the anarchy he was about to walk into. _Could never be sure of when or if I'd ever see you again… Why do we always wind up meeting in chaos? I try to leave you out of my messes, but we always seem to meet right smack dab in the middle of them!_ Wolf O'Donnell's voice suddenly spoke in his head. _'Never play against fate Fox.'_ Fox grit his teeth behind his lips in frustration, the fear returning of what that meant for his nightmares at the hotel.

Falco barely interrupted Fox's thoughts as he made contact with R.O.B. on the Great Fox; whose miniature holographic form appeared on the dashboard. "Hey buddy, we did it. Got Fox and Slip' in the back and we're working our way out of these rat tunnels. Fox is going to need some medical attention along the lines of muscle repair, so get whatever ya need prepared for when we arrive; it's gonna need to be quicker than our travel time back to Venom."

"ROGER. BE ADVISED: MULTIPLE FIREFIGHTS ARE UNDERWAY ON KATINA'S SURFACE, IN THE PLANET'S ATMOSPHERE, AND INTO THE SURROUNDING SPACE. RECOMMEND EXTREME CAUTION WHILE DEPARTING THE PLANET. THE GREAT FOX II IS STATIONED APPROXIMATELY TWO ASTRONAUMICAL UNITS FROM KATINA TOWARDS FORTUNA. CONTACT US ONCE YOU ARE OUT OF THE CONFLICT'S REACH."

Falco glanced back at Fox, who returned his questioning expression with a densely shaded, grave one of his own. "I guess that broke out quickly…" Falco commented, slowly turning back to R.O.B.'s hologram. "Where's Lucy and Amanda at? Figured they'd be-"

Slippy suddenly burst from the shadows into the blue illumination from R.O.B.'s hologram; squeezing himself beside Falco. "Yeah R.O.B.! Where is my precious water lily?!"

" _EASY_ SLIP!" Falco snapped as he began attempting to shove Slippy back.

"THEY ARE CONDUCTING EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AND ARE UNAWARE OF YOUR TRANSMISSION. I WILL BE SURE TO RELAY THE UPDATED INFORMATION."

" _Awww_ …" Slippy moaned as he moped back to his seat.

Falco gave a quick sneer at the frog before turning his attention back to R.O.B. and the black flooded tunnels ahead. "Would ya? Thanks R.O.B.. We'll be seeing you real soon!" Falco terminated the call.

Slippy reclaimed his seat, looking puzzled. "Equipment maintenance? What in the star's names could they be preparing right _now_?"

Falco spoke with irritants. "It's ' _busy work_ ' Slip, you of all mammals should know females can't just sit around in silent agony waitin' for somethin'; they've gotta have somethin' to do." Falco glanced back at Fox. "All right, time you told me everything that went down in there; or are you still too stuck inside your own skull?"

Fox locked eyes with Slippy and his sudden nervous expression. Fox snapped his eyes away from Slippy and looked at Falco tolerantly; holding his stare for a moment before taking in and slowly releasing his breath. "Direct questions please…" His gaze fell back to the rubber floor. "I don't think I could spell out the whole venture if I wanted to…"

Falco looked back ahead just in time to observe the approaching upward turn in the cylindrical passage. "All right," He started calmly as he rotated the Tadpole with the turn, "What did Dash have you steal?"

"Nothing… I had it the whole time."

Falco shot another quick glance at him in mild surprise. "Care to elaborate on that?"

"…Sometime when I had been-" An abrupt warning indicator began beeping from the Tadpole's control panel.

Slippy leapt forward in his seat. "Something's up ahead, something mobile!"

The whole cockpit fell silent as everyone's complete focus was drawn to the white ringed tunnel outline ahead. As their vessel rounded another turn, the white profile of a Cornerian submersible fighter appeared just ten meters ahead and headed straight for them.

Falco had fired the Tadpole's lasers the second he saw it; beating it on the draw.

The fighter began swirling along the passage's edges as it instantaneously flipped around and bolted the other direction.

Falco threw more power into the Tadpole's thrusters and kept on its tail; landing shots on it whenever he could.

Six more masked IRT members strapped to the fighter's sides returned fire, read as a flurry of white bolts by the Tadpole's sonar, with the blaster rifles they held; though they did little against the Tadpole's deflecting shields and Falco's swift flying.

The enemy craft approached a three-way divider in the tunnels and took one that led deeper into the headquarters' water transportation system.

Falco followed without hesitation, spiking Fox's angst.

"What are you doing?! Forget the fighter, we need to get out of here!" Fox sternly ordered.

Falco's cool, focused demeanor was unaffected. "And let this guy come around and get the jump on us on our way out the door? _Come on_ Fox!"

Fox wanted to argue, but he couldn't deny that possibility. "Just take it out-"

Falco instantaneously delivered the killing blow that sank the craft.

"-quickly."

The Tadpole zoomed over the wreckage, pivoted one-hundred-eighty degrees, and tore back towards where they had come.

With a haughty smirk, Falco relaxed and returned his attention to Fox. "So, you were saying?"

Fox took a calming breath before replying. "Dash wanted an SD card that he had inserted into my jaw sometime while I had been unconscious in his captivity on Venom. I handed it to one of his officers, and that officer took it somewhere inside the headquarters where it was implanted into the entire Cornerian virtual database. Now-"

" _Fuck_!" Falco shouted just before scraping a portion of the Tadpole's exterior against a side of the tunnel.

Fox's spinal hair stood on edge. "Tuff time flying in tight quarters?"

"You wish, we've got leeches!"

"Leeches?!" Fox questioned as he anxiously searched through the Tadpole's cockpit windows for what Falco had observed. His question was answered when the silhouette of an IRT member zipped to the outside of the Tadpole's polycarbonate forward observation. He had used an energy composed grapple line built into his left wrist cuff to attach to the ship and was currently aiming his rifle at Falco.

Falco smacked the tunnel walls again to toss the soldier off balance with success. Next, he brought the Tadpole to a complete halt and faced the bottom of the tunnel.

"Dumb-ass." Falco remarked before smashing the IRT member against the ground. The grapple line terminated, and as Falco righted the Tadpole the soldier's mushy corpse slowly floated upwards.

Falco took off again down the passage. He went to speak, but was once again silenced by a notification alarm. "The rear hull is being shot; with no one in pursuit..."

"There's still more." Fox warned; observing through the vessel's rearward observation windows two soldiers attached to the far end of the Tadpole's tale; both were working to sabotage its interior. Fox opened a compartment under his seat and pulled out a set of goggles and an oxygen mask with three vertical vents built into each side. Fox fit the mask onto his snout, properly positioned the eye protection, then activated the mask's suction that sealed it to his face. "Falco, get on your goggles and Gills, we're opening this things windows and hatches."

Falco quickly did as Fox said. "This water pressure ain't gonna feel too good…" He commented.

"It's this or they sink us." Fox said, waiting only for Falco to dawn the gear. _I hope these rifles are effective in water like I think they are. They'd have to be! They worked after the IRT members arrived on the other amphibious fighters!_

Falco finished and gave Fox the thumbs up. "Ready!" He shouted through the mask's muffle.

"Hit the controls to open everything up on my go." Fox shot a brief glance at Slippy, who actually sat in joyous excitement; holding a rifle at the ready he had picked up from the remaining carnage back at the platform.

"Been awhile since this frog's been underwater!"

Fox smirked under his mask. "Do it Falco!"

Falco cringed as he took one last moment in preparation before rotating the emergency lever to open up the fighter. All windows retracted into the Tadpole's body allowing an icy, unforgiving amount of pounding water into the cabin; the entire cockpit was filled in seconds. As Fox inhaled, the Gills filtered oxygen from the water through the built-in vents; providing him with a full breath of air.

Fox suddenly was blinded by the Tadpole's expedition lights that completely illuminated the surrounding area of the craft. He fought past the glare as the air bubbles running along the eyewear dissipated, giving sight to the surprised IRT member.

Both Fox and Slippy took aim at the boarders, but to their disadvantage the IRT members noticed a second early enough to leap from the vessel's hull and hang from their grapple lines as the Tadpole continued navigating the tunnels. Fox reached to the back of his seat and pulled a lever that freed a line attached to his harness, allowing him to step away and take up a better defensive position in the Tadpole's passenger hold. His leg wound stung and seized in agony, but Fox kept his attention strictly on the assaulters.

Slippy had quickly followed suit and the two of them knelt nearly back to back as they continued firing at the two soldiers. The IRT members weaved around in the rushing water, making it difficult to get solid shots on the exposed sections of their body. Both Fox and Slippy had to duck down in order to avoid the returned laser blasts from the soldiers.

Fox wished a B-bomb wouldn't put the rest of the ship at risk as he began firing where he gambled the soldier would float next.

Suddenly, the soldiers reeled themselves in using their lines. For Fox, it was a surprise attack that worked in his favor. As the soldier zipped in, Fox placed a lucky flurry of fire in multiple unarmored areas of the dog's body; knocking it back into the murky darkness.

The second soldier had made it inside and tackled Slippy to the ground, knocking his weapon from him.

Fox turned to fire at the soldier as he faced him. While both their aim honed in, the IRT member's head and neck was riddled with laser fire and the water current yanked his body from the craft. Fox looked over toward the source and saw that Falco had drawn his blaster and given supporting fire. Falco sheathed his weapon, then held up two boastful fingers toward Fox.

Fox shook his head before looking back at Slippy.

Slippy had gotten back to his feet, securing the blaster rifle he had retained on his body via the attached strap. He returned Fox's stare with a smile and thumbs up, turning to give Falco the same.

The Tadpole continued through the tunnels as Slippy and Fox refastened themselves into their seats; Fox cursed himself for thinking it was over.

The dashboard of the Tadpole lit up again, indicating approaching vessels. Fox looked at Falco for any kind of message on what was approaching, but the bird's attention was seemingly set in panic as he doused the Tadpoles lights and complete darkness surrounded everything but the dimly lit control panel. Hardly a second later, Falco brought the amphibious jet to a dead halt, and sank it to the tunnel floor. Both Fox and Slippy jerked forward from the aggressive landing, and immediately afterwards a Cornerian fighter from both their twelve and six o'clock directions zoomed in and began firing where they believed the Tadpole was. The shots passed right over the Tadpole and riddled into each other's fighter shields, killing off at least one soldier harnessed toward the forward end of each fighter.

Falco took advantage of their enemy's current discombobulation to dash right underneath the fighter to their twelve o'clock and continue through the tunnels, turning on only the forward observation lamps on the Tadpole for navigation.

Fox felt a tap on his shoulder. Nearly unable to see Slippy right in front of him, the frog used his supporting hand to guide Fox's chin toward the tail of the Tadpole; bringing his attention to a small, repetitive red flash coming from below the Tadpole's tail tip. Fox's gut tightened. _Tracker…_

Slippy grabbed Fox's rifle momentarily, then pointed at himself.

The message brought Fox extreme unease. _Cover me?!_

Slippy disappeared into the murky blackness.

 _No!_ Fox's heart raced in panic, desperately wishing he could turn on his rifle light and search for his friend, but he knew their Androssian pursuers weren't far behind. Whatever Slippy was up too, the only way he could protect his friend now was to keep him concealed in the dark. Fox lifted his rifle and waited, praying his brother knew what he was doing. Fox next spotted Slippy crawling into the red illumination from the tracker on the Tadpole's tail, observing that the frog had removed his boots and was using his sticky padded hands and feet to keep himself attached to the Tadpole; with his assault blaster strapped to his back.

Fox was both impressed and vexed at the same time. _Damn you Slippy!_ His heart resumed its heightened pace when green laser bolts came at them from their six. Slippy pulled himself as low to the fighter as he could and began shimmying over to one of the fins for better cover. Fox looked up at Falco as the bird slammed his fist on the dash, looked back toward where the blasts came from, singly displayed his center feathered finger as openly and aggressively as he could, then returned to the controls and worked to put distance between their attackers; completely unaware his attempts to shake them were hopeless.

 _Too bad we don't have comms set up in these masks…_ Fox thought as he looked back towards Slippy, who continued to slowly make his way toward the tracker; nearly a meter from it.

Two grapple beams shot out from the darkness and latched to the Tadpole's tail tip, reeling in two IRT solders that found their footing and began taking aim. Fox had his rifle already locked on them and sent array of lasers toward them, preventing their retaliation and forcing them to lower themselves onto the metal shell. _They'll just keep coming though, if we can even take these guys out! I've got to take out those fighters!_ Then it hit him.

Fox instantly turned and worked his way up to Falco, fighting to keep his balance despite the intense current from the water they glided through. Fox spotted a munitions bag that Falco had brought, strapped to an open cargo compartment underneath the pilot's seat. Fox unzipped it just enough to fit his hand inside and feel around the contents. _Please Falco, PLEASE tell me you brought some as backup!_ His hand fell upon the sphere-shaped object he searched for. _YES!_ Fox pulled it out and quickly made his way back to the rear of the passenger compartment.

Once back in position, Fox observed Slippy giving continued cover fire to keep the soldier on his side of the tail from moving. To Slippy's unknowing, the second soldier had been slowly making his way up the opposing side of the fin Slippy was using for cover; looking to flank him. Fox stopped the dog in his tracks by sending blasts straight for him. The dog leapt back and hung from his grapple line, as he began firing back at Fox.

Fox retreated into cover and looked down at his B-bomb, programming it for his assessed time of detonation. Activating the bomb, Fox let his hand protrude his cover just enough to release the bomb into the current. Fox awaited the sound of the explosion, then peered back out with his rifle aimed towards the last known location of the flanking IRT soldier. The dog had drawn himself back onto the Tadpole's tale, but as Fox had planned, the bomb had pulled his attention just long enough to gain the advantage; Fox could only hope it took out both pursuing fighter's as well. Fox pulled the trigger on his rifle and landed a group of shots in the soldier's arm and lower leg, sending him back into the open water; dangling by his active grapple line.

Slippy had continued to successfully keep the other soldier at bay until his trigger locked, indicating he was out of power. _Crap! No, no, nononono…_

The other IRT member took his chance and shot a grapple line towards Slippy's position, propelling towards him with his sights trained on the frog. Slippy spotted it just in time to leap towards his left, dodging the shots as he grabbed the Tadpoles shell with his left hand to keep himself attached. The soldier grounded nearly a meter from him and brought his aim back towards the frog.

 _You're in MY territory, you furry fiend!_ Slippy instantly launched and landed his long, elastic tongue around the middle of the dog's weapon and yanked on it, bringing the baffled soldier in towards him. _I rule in these waters!_ Slippy delivered a powerful blow to the IRT members face with the butt of his own weapon, sending the dog violently spiraling into the open water while he used the time he gained to load a fresh power cell into his laser rifle. Before the dog could regain control, Slippy fired off a flurry of blasts until the soldier went limp; the grapple line dissipated, and the dog was sucked into the darkness behind.

Slippy looked back towards Fox, who gave him the thumbs up from his position. Slippy nodded with a grin, then sheathed the rifle and continued making his way toward the tracker; keeping three points of contact on the tail at all times. Slippy crawled around till he was hanging onto the bottom of the tail; with the small, red flashing, circular tracker that kept them exposed in his site. He instantly set to work on disengaging the suction that kept the tracker on the ship. _Come on… a little twist and pull… No? Maybe this way… little harder… got it!_ His hand flew free from the amphibious fighter with the tracker in hand, then a large red blast rammed into the Tadpole; knocking Slippy loose.

Fox motionlessly watched Slippy disappear into the black murky waters, past the surviving Cornerian fighter that had successfully landed a shot on the lower fin of the Tadpole. _That didn't… that didn't just happen… NO!_ Fox turned and leapt toward Falco, jerking on his shoulder and pointing rearward.

Falco nodded in an annoyed manner, throwing his arms up slightly.

Fox feared the Falcon wasn't understanding him. He jerked Falco's shoulder again and pointed a second time, trying to display his panic.

Falco took a closer look and froze, looking back at Fox with an equal amount of shear panic; motioning rearward himself.

Fox became baffled as he frantically thought of a way to communicate to Falco. Fox looked at the control panel, then suddenly worked his way to the manual command input screen and typed: 'Knocked loose. Turn around. Could be alive.'

Falco looked back at him and nodded, proceeding to increase the Tadpole's speed to its maximum, then darkened itself again and brought it to a skidding halt on the tunnel floor. The Cornerian fighter zoomed overhead seconds later, but instantly began slowing having seen where the Tadpole had gone. Falco brought the Tadpole up off the ground and unleashed a full line of fire on the fighter as it began to turn around. Its shields held their ground however, and Falco was forced to spin around himself and take off in the opposite direction back towards where they'd hopefully find Slippy.

Meanwhile, Fox had returned to the munitions bag underneath Falco, hoping Falco had brought more than one B-bomb. His heart leapt as he felt what he searched for. He pulled it from the bag and returned to Falco's side, looking to utilize the command input again. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw what they had come for: Slippy. He had been swimming low to the tunnel floor, in the direction they had been previously heading. The Tadpole flew over Slippy's head, leaving him behind again. Falco went to slow the Tadpole, but Fox stayed his hand and proceeded to type: 'Get ahead. Flip and fly underneath them. I will place this.' Fox showed Falco the Nova bomb.

Falco shot a quick, shocked glance at Fox, then slowly returned his gaze to the tunnels ahead. He darkened the Tadpole, then quickly flipped around for what they hoped would be the final time. Fox had climbed halfway through one of the skyward observation window frames and programmed the B-bomb to stick with a three second delayed detonation. The Cornerian fighter came into sight, and before Fox knew it he was back inside the Tadpole with the bomb missing from his hand. _Three, two-_

A pressurized wave of water came tearing their way from the rear, followed by the fire of the explosion. Fox hung on tight to the roof handles as he fought the waves pull. _Please let that have hit them…_

Fox spotted the larger pieces of shredded debris in the fire. _Yes!_ Fox proceeded to look ahead for Slippy, fearing whether the previously pursuing Cornerian fighter had hit him. Fox's heart rapidly pulsed as he sent up a silent prayer. _I deserve death, not them. Not Krystal, not Slippy, not Falco. Please, get them out!_

….

Slippy frantically swam to very surface of the tunnel floor as the Tadpole tore above his head. As he stuck his hands and feet to the metal ground, the Cornerian fighter zoomed overhead after his friends. Once passed, Slippy rose from the floor and looked toward where they had gone. _They came back for me! At least, HOPEFULLY that's what they're doing…_ All Slippy's muscles tightened in a flash when he saw that two of the IRT soldiers had detached from the Cornerian jet and were swimming straight towards him. He drew his blaster and fired at them both as he swam as fast and hard as he could in the other direction. _You may have good aim, but even in your adaptable diving gear-_ Slippy began darting in different directions as he juggled keeping them at bay with suppressing fire and dodging whatever shots they managed to send his way. _-you can't outswim me!_

A large propulsion wave suddenly tore through the water from the direction Slippy had last seen his friends heading. Both the IRT members turned toward the disturbance. Slippy's eyes widened, his mouth fell ajar, and his arms sunk to his sides. _I REALLY hope that wasn't them…_

The soldiers went to return his attention to him, but Slippy had already pulled himself from his fears enough to aim and shoot into the arm and shoulder of one of his attackers. The soldier began thrashing and sinking in agony while the second went to return fire. Slippy sent some suppressing blasts his way and resumed darting around. One laser bolt nearly scraped Slippy's side as the IRT member's aim honed in. Slippy went to retaliate in a final desperate attempt, but the soldier was ripped into charred pieces by fire from the returning Tadpole. Fox suddenly appeared through one of the roof openings in the submersible as it slowed to a halt; excitedly motioning Slippy over.

….

The trio had continued through the tunnels with everyone safe and secure inside, completely incognito this time due to Slippy's destruction of the tracker and Fox's hope that all other Androssian forces were busy with the Cornerian army.

Falco suddenly slowed the Tadpole as he caught sight of another set of closed steel doors placed at the roof of the tunnel; indicating their way out. As they approached, the nearby heat signature warning on their control panel began to flash. Falco studied the information screen as he stopped the Tadpole dead. He then hit a control that closed all the hatches, followed by all the windows extending back into place, sealing the Tadpole as tight as before. Falco then activated the Tadpole's liquid flushing system as the still chilling water began to drain from the hull until gone, and ship's readings showed a pressurized hull that was ready for flight and space travel. Fox and Falco both removed their masks and eye wear, then shook themselves to rid their fur or feathers of as much water as they could; despite their drenched clothing.

Slippy merely sat back in his seat and blinked the water from his eyes. "I'll always pity your guy's inability to naturally adapt to water."

Falco scowled in disgust as he flapped his clothed wings again. "You nearly died and you're _bragging?!_ How long canyou hold your breath for _anyway_?!

Slippy looked up in thought. "…Not sure… Have yet to feel the need _to breath_ while under."

" _Alright_." Fox said as he secured his own mask under his seat, aiming to end the conversation. "We've got more hostiles up ahead?"

"Waiting like a hunter at his trap." Falco confirmed as he ensured the Tadpole's shields had reactivated, then worked the control panel to open the doors above. "Let's just hope Bowman's out of special ops."

Fox felt his heart rate rise as he waited for Falco to make his move. "Don't let _this_ crazy be the one that gets us _killed_."

The doors successfully began to open. "Ay." Falco started as he placed his hand on the thruster. "It's _me_." Not a second later he yanked back on the lever and launched the Tadpole toward the opening. It tore from the water's surface and headed down a square metal passage with more generators and pipes, quickly followed by a swarm of laser and plasma fire originating from a group of ground soldiers and a couple Cornerian fighters; which took off in pursuit.

Fox felt relief that it had been a basic grunt force. _Looks like most your troops are busy with your siege._ He thought with bitter-sweet ease, though he kept his attention on edge regardless.

"So…" Falco started back up, feeling similar relief as he used quick maneuvering to stay far ahead of the Cornerian jets behind them; swerving out of the path of whatever blasts they manage to send towards the Tadpole. "The warzone we're about to fly into, I'm guessing it's a result of this card that was implanted?"

"Every automated system in existence, that was built by Corneria and/or Venom, is now under Dash's control."

"…Shit…" Falco murmured. "That would mean anti-aircraft too… The Cornerian military's going to be handicapped…"

Fox swallowed as another wave of guilt washed over him. "This is where Dash finally outdid his grandfather…" Both Fox and Falco locked eyes on the sealed steel doors that blocked their exit.

"The anti-air?!" Falco asked as he prepared the Tadpole's nova bomb for launch and fired it before they got too close; blasting a hole that disintegrated the doors and continued into the surrounding wall.

Fox minutely shook his head and began to answer as they flew into the dense plume of smoke. "You don't fight brute force with your own,-"

The Tadpole flew through the dense plume of smoke and out beneath a vast green sky filled with metal and fire.

Hundreds of large battleships and spacecraft carriers drifted through the atmosphere, tripled by the number of fighter craft that swarmed and darted around the remaining space. Blaster fire of all colors and calibers lit up the sky in a near blinding display.

The planet's vast savanna was strewn with foot soldiers, turrets, and ground mobile assault vehicles that all mirrored the carnage above. Scrap and corpses plummeted toward the ground in countless areas, demanding caution from everything below to avoid being struck and killed by the falling debris.

Muffled as it was, the deafening noise of the warfare nearly drowned out anything inside the Tadpole. The size of the battle already far surpassed any Fox had ever seen in the Lylat wars, but one detail gave this one a whole new meaning of terror: everything wore the same uniform.

Fox slowly made his way to the horrified Falco's side, dedicatedly watching the skies that held the merciless slaughter. "-you corrupt it."

…..

The lion sat at the center of the lives they had reaped; watching the empty carcasses be cleared from all the control panels they had fallen over. He held his rifle secure in his lap as he ran his fingers over all the tally marks they had attained throughout the hunt, thinking of the one he was about to add. The hunter glanced over at the Alsatian; who still lay on his stomach with a pool of blood around his face _._ The only sign the lion could see that the admiral was still alive was the ever-slowing rise and fall of his midsection as he breathed.

The lion purred as he looked back to his rifle, bearing a smile behind his mask.

Shots and a wail rung throughout the room. The lion locked eyes first on the Beagle lieutenant as he fell to the ground with multiple holes burnt in his chest. The hunter's gaze traveled to the source, observing the Aussie he'd kicked from the bridge taking aim and firing at two more Androssian soldiers. After dropping them, the dog turned toward the lion, instantaneously being ripped to the ground by a powerful blast tunneling through his skull.

The lion slowly lowered his sniper, having successfully beat the two turrets above him to the shot. His gaze intentionally travelled over to Shepherd, observing his hand slowly tightening into a fist. The hunter smirked as he stood and walked over to the admiral, kneeling at his side. "They're all dead now." The lion whispered with a purr. "You've outlived them; you can _die_."

To the hunter's mild surprise, the admiral replied. "You're… still _wrong_ … about my _fight_..." Shepherd choked out.

The lion tilted his head in interest.

"Death is relief… _I stay_ and _bear_ the… ones I've lost. That… is how I suffer for my… sins." Suddenly the admiral rolled to his side and looked the lion dead in his mask's red eyes. " _Take… off… your mask_!"

The hunter stayed motionless. "Only few get to see my face, you will not be one of-"

Admiral Shepherd swiftly ended the lion's statement by pummeling the hunter's stomach with his fist. Grabbing the lions mask with his other hand, he brought the predator to his side by sweeping the cat's legs with his own; simultaneously pulling off the disguise. The hunter and the admiral lay side by side; face to face in blood.

Shepherd erupted in a fit of coughing, spitting blood with each outburst, then grinned as he observed all the scars carved into the lion's face. "So, you bear… the… weight too. We're… not so different, you… ugly _bastard._ You… just chose a diff-…-erent path."

The admiral rolled to his back as he chuckled. "So now, you-…-'re right, everyone else… is dead; my sins've been… paid." He looked over at the lion victoriously, who still lay baffled. As Shepherd breathed his last sentence, the life left his eyes. "I'll see… you in hell…"

The lion remained still for nearly a minute after Shepherd's passing. Slowly he worked his way to his feet, wiping the blood from his face and securing his rifle in his hands without taking his eyes off the admiral.

A black lab approached and stood at attention behind the lion, who noticed a dark, ominous tone her voice. "The ship is nearly secure; only some small fire-fights that will soon be extinguished. The approaching reinforcements is currently underway of their own change of command; shall we head to assist?"

The lion answered without as much as glancing at the uniformed soldier. "Wait for orders from Bowman himself, or any of your new Androssian commanders; as far as you all are concerned, I no longer exist."

"As you wish." The dog said before walking off to join the rest of her soldiers in returning the battleship to full operational capacity.

The lion watched Shepherd for a moment longer before another menacing voice sounded behind him.

"Shall we prepare this one for your taking, _Guardian_?"

The lion shot a glare back at two dogs also standing at attention with empty expressions on their faces; their pupils completely dilated.

The lion watched them closely, cautiously. "No."

The two merely turned away and headed toward the lift.

The lion's gaze remained on them as they left, then slowly returned to Shepherds corpse; staring into the thick pool of scarlet in which it lay. The hunter knelt, unsheathed his claws through his left glove, and dipped his index claw in the blood. Pointing his sniper rifle toward the roof of the bridge's dome, he placed the claw on the trigger and carved a single tally.

….

Falco jerked the Tadpole over to his right, dodging the first dead fighter jet that crashed where they had just been; eliminating one of their pursuers. "You wouldn't even know this was an attack, it looks like the whole Cornerian military is just tearing _itself_ apart…" Falco's voice trailed off as he focused on his maneuvers, heading up and straight into the chaos above. The second Cornerian starcraft managed to follow for a few moments before being shot down by another Cornerian amidst the battlefield.

Fox held onto the head of Falco's seat and one of the personnel handles in the ship's roof, working to keep his footing while the Tadpole weaved through death-strokes by the second. The laser and plasma fire accompanied by the countless explosions rapidly illuminated the entire cockpit of the Tadpole. As Fox watched the fighting, he began to make sense of the anarchy.

None of the battleships or cargo/spacecraft carriers fired on each other, but at the flurry of jets above and ground units below. Within the swarms of the smaller forces, squads had formed and were seemingly sticking together; shooting at anything in their path except the other squads and larger craft. Fox no longer saw a battle, but an extermination.

Falco zipped the Tadpole over to one of the battleships and used it as partial cover as he continued navigating through the dogfights. "How do I even know which ones to shoot at?!" He asked through his focused demeanor.

"You don't." Fox answered abruptly. "From here on out, we don't fire a single shot unless there's no other option."

The Tadpole darted from the battleship over to the belly of a nearby starcraft carrier, barely missing flurries of laser and plasma fire, and surrounding spacecraft that tore by. "What if they're firing _at us_?!"

"These soldiers are beyond a comprehendible state of confusion; they've just watched countless loyal friends turn on them in an instant. Right now, they could be shooting down loyal Cornerians they're convinced have turned; we're _not_ contributing to that." A passing green plasma bolt cast a green hue upon his face as his inner voice instantly rebuked him. _Don't forget, YOU'RE the one who DID THIS!_ Fox clenched his grip as he bowed his head and screwed his eyes shut. _Hundreds of innocent lives are ending by the second, and it's all for the one that, had you never left in the first place!_ His grip began weakening, and the line attached to his harness teamed with gravity; violently reeling him back to his seat. His head smashed into the padded support at the top of his seat, bringing his upper body to tense as Bowman's decree accompanied the awakening headache. _'You will be hailed as the great deliverer! Fox McCloud, the one who revived the rightful empire of the Lylat system!' Dash was never the monster…_ Fox propped his elbows on his knees and buried his head in his hands. _You are!_

Slippy had been watching Fox with concern since he let go. "Fox?!" He asked earnestly.

Falco's attention remained on the warfare ahead as he asked, "What's he doin Slip?!"

Bill's words attempted to counter the demon in Fox's head. _'You really think Bowman needed you so badly…his whole plan would've fallen through? Years and years of work set in stone. Are you really the only one that he could use to kick it all off?'_ Fox looked up and stared blankly at Slippy. _Slippy's still alive, Bill's still alive, Krystal is still alive; that's what it's always been about! You just have to get back to her..._ Fox remembered the lion who infiltrated one of the cruisers back over Venom. _He can take you to her, and then Bowman!_ Aimed fury and excitement started leaking into Fox's eyes. _He's controlling it from there; you could take it back! You can KILL HIM!_

Falco rolled the Tadpole away from another battleship he had shadowed, dodging a group of blasts sent at him by one of the detached turrets that floated in the vicinity of the vessel. Two starships converged on him from the front, and Falco entered an 'S' flight pattern to hinder their ability to lock on him as he flew passed them. As if a sign of hope, stars began to show themselves behind the planet's dissipating green sky. "We're exiting the atmosphere guys!" Falco shouted just before silence slowly began to overtake the blaring carnage behind; as the Tadpole grew closer to the vacuum of space.

The rough maneuvers had shaken Fox from his mental ensnarement, bringing him to observe Slippy anxiously staring at him.

"Fox?! You with us?!"

Fox simply nodded with a warm smirk. "Thank you Slippy, it's because of you that we made it out." Light from the outside carnage flashed over his expression as the excited fury in his eyes returned. "Dash made a mistake choosing _us._ "

Slippy looked down at the ground in uncertainty, but shortly after returned Fox's stare with his own smirk and nod; though the uncertainty still hung in his eyes. "So… we escaped. What next?"

Falco cut in. "I wouldn't say that _just yet_ …" Multiple battleships and carriers, both with their own detached high caliber turrets, lay spaced out around the planet's atmospheric borders; and every-one within firing range began unleashing on the Tadpole. Falco instantly steered the ship toward the closest vessel, returning fire at the automated cannons while keeping the Tadpole moving in the opposite direction of that of the soundless, reigning fire. "Well, at least there's no more _fighters_!"

"There shouldn't be." Fox answered, looking towards Falco; taking in the seemingly continuous number of obstacles through the Tadpole's forward observation window. "The only airborne jets in the planet's atmosphere had to have come from grounded air-pads. Any Cornerian fighters inside the starcraft carriers and battleships will be on lockdown until the Androssian army has complete control of each multi-crew cruiser." Fox looked back at Slippy. "There's only one way to stop all of this. I'm going back to Dash, and this nightmare he's put us _all_ through will _end_."

Slippy swallowed. "I'm just afraid of how you plan to do that."

Fox found himself caught without a reply, there wasn't an honest answer he could give his friend that would provide comfort. His gaze lowered from his brother's, unable to hold it any longer.

Another explosive flash announced Falco had successfully taken out a cruiser turret before zooming straight over it; taking aim at an automated loner plasma turret that hung nearby a large starcraft carrier. "Almost out of their planetary defense zone, I think we're home free guys!" The turret launched its red laser fire at the approaching starcraft. Falco swirled around its stream until he was close enough to lay lethal shots on its exterior, sparking an internal explosion that finished it off.

Slippy continued speaking to Fox. "You got us out, I get it; you did what you had to. But now, you _don't_ have too. You can get Krystal out without _murdering_ him, you can still do this like the leader I _know_."

The last statement struck a nerve inside Fox that awakened the memory of the day he had first ever battled the grandfather of Bowman. Back in that moment, Fox had become a conductor of pure rage and hatred; with nothing but a thirst for the ape's blood for what he had done to his parents.

Fox's tone turned cold as he replied to his brother. "We may be brothers Slippy, but there's still things you _don't_ know about me; nor will you understand." Fox looked right into Slippy's eyes as a flurry of red laser bolts flew by; illuminating his own warning, menacing countenance. "You've _never_ felt the loss that I _have_."

Slippy compressed his lips in shame as he looked away from Fox and out toward the silent battle that Falco still worked to clear all of them from. " _I know_ … I never meant to say that I do. I just-"

"Three… two… _ONE_!" Falco announced, throwing his hands up in the air in celebration. "And we are _OUT_ of their firing range!" Falco turned back to Fox and Slippy, finding that neither of them appeared to share his excitement. "Well fine, I'll bet _R.O.B._ 'll be happy to see we're _alive_!"

He returned to the control panel and sent out a call to the Great Fox II. Seconds later, a blue hologram of R.O.B.s upper body appeared in front of Falco, standing a little lower than his chest height. "R.O.B., we're out and headed towards Fortuna, which one uh these stars you hidin' in?"

R.O.B didn't respond, and Falco quickly noticed that none of his running or processing lights were flashing. Slowly the machines body turned to reveal a large hole that had been burnt through his head. Without warning, the empty shell crumpled downward out of the view of the camera that registered his form.

"R.O.B.!" Falco hollered.

In stepped Panther Caroso, wearing a vengeful expression. "Where, is _McCloud_?" He growled steadily.

Fox shot out of his seat and placed himself right back at Falco's side. "You've made a number of mistakes within a _second_ , _Panther!_ "

"Keep counting, because I'm not done." Panther pulled a teary-eyed Lucy into the camera's view, placing his sword to her throat.

Lucy cringed at the blades touch. "Fox… he's-"

"Silence." Panther ordered, gently slicing a small slit into her neck; drawing a horrified gasp from Lucy at the wound's sting.

Fox slammed his fist into the roof of the Tadpole. " _ENOUGH_! Do you not know the whole universe has gone to _shit_! _What are you doing here_?!"

Panther looked at him with a hardened, threatening countenance. " _Twenty seconds_ McCloud."

The feed terminated.

" _NO_!" Fox screamed, slamming his fist into the roof again.

Falco had opened a notification that had appeared on the dashboard's screen before Panther cut communications. "He's sent us coordinates, were going." With the Great Fox targeted, Falco threw the Tadpole's thruster to full speed as they dashed toward their home vessel.

Fox held himself in place with all his might, catching site of the Great Fox II hovering close to a large star. _You want Krystal… Either that, or your convinced she's dead and you're here to kill me; then again, you'll kill me either way._ Fox's claws began to unsheathe as his mind slowly fell to the animal inside him. _Too bad you killed our friend and threatened another I'm sworn to protect._ Fox's breath began to hasten. _You've just damned yourself._

Falco barely slowed the Tadpole as he entered the starboard hanger of the Great Fox, bringing it as close to the rear of the hanger as he could before drifting into a violent halt; setting the vessel down on a cleared space. The instant the Tadpole's feet touched the ground, Fox undid his harness with a single click and activated the ship's exit ramp himself. Fighting past the seared gash in his leg, he staggered out onto the hanger floor; he hadn't seen any sign of Panther on their way in, nor could he see him now. " _WHERE ARE YOU PANTHER_?!" He hollered as loud as he could.

Panther's projected growl resonated throughout the bay. "Save your rage McCloud, you do not deserve it." Out of the dividing hallway stepped Lucy with a rapier tip pressed to the small of her back; at its handle was Panther.

Panther began driving Lucy in Fox's direction, looking right at him as if prepared to strike. "That is an emotion only _I_ rightfully bear."

Falco charged out of the Tadpole after Fox, rounding the intruding cat from a distance. "You should've kept that sword at her throat!" Falco said as he whipped out his blaster and brought its aim to Panther's head. Instantaneously, Falco's firing arm was knocked away and he abruptly curled over. Next his head flew up and rearward before his entire backside returned to the ground with a smack.

Matter began to appear from nothing above Falco and continued to form itself into Leon Powalski, who stood victoriously over the Falcon; wearing a malicious grin and a purple, armored exosuit that could camouflage with his skin. "The first of many, my _flying prey_!" Leon hissed as he grabbed Falco's collar and lifted his limp upper body with it.

Falco groaned, then suddenly threw a swift right hook at the chameleon's face.

Leon caught it with his tail and spat his tongue right into Falco's eye.

Falco hollered in shock before being socked in the beak with Leon's own jab.

" _Once again_ you face the _irony_!" Leon shouted while using his tail to toss him a few meters across the hanger into Slippy's Bullfrog.

Falco's body slid off the metal hull and hit the ground; nearly unconscious.

" _Enough_!" Panther ordered. "I am not here for games." He looked over at Fox with a taunting expression. "I would hope, _McCloud_ , you know _too well_ what I've come for."

Fox stood with his fists clenched and expression hardened, though he spoke with a lowered, controlled volume. " _I know_ , and if you even hope to learn about your _rose_ , you'll release Lucy and step over to the other hanger; just _you_ and _me._ "

Panther stepped to Lucy and replaced his blade over her throat. "If only I could trust your team would allow such an arrangement, but as your wingman just proved: Star Fox doesn't contain such honor."  
"Falco's a hothead, and _your wingman_ brought him down. Now _release LUCY_!"

"He's not the only one who's given us problems, McCloud." Panther looked over at Leon, who's grin grew as he casually strolled over to an empty space on the hanger floor where a small pool of blood lay. Slowly reaching down, Leon pulled a small circular device seemingly from nothing, initiating the materialization of what the device had hidden.

Slippy had followed shortly after Falco out of the Tadpole, and the sight of who had formed on top the red liquid sent him sprinting towards her in panic with tears building in his eyes. " _AMANDA_!"


End file.
